2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 133,583 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across California, there were 354 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 298 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for General Studies in California

#1

Brandman University

Irvine, California

#1 in overall quality

$21,604 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandman University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 135 diplomas to qualified associates’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

Brandman also made our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman University is $21,604 for California Associate Degree General Studies students.

Full Brandman General Studies Report

#2

National University

La Jolla, California

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 103 associates’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

National University also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full National University General Studies Report

#3

Life Pacific College

San Dimas, California

#3 in overall quality

$20,865 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Life Pacific College landed the #3 spot on the list. Life Pacific College is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Dimas, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LIFE Bible College, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,865 for California Associate Degree General Studies students per year to attend Life Pacific College.

Read more about General Studies at LIFE Bible College

#4

University of La Verne

La Verne, California

#4 in overall quality

$25,780 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of La Verne. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for an Associate in California. University of La Verne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 24 associates’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of La Verne is $25,780 for california associate degree general studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at ULV

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for General Studies in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for General Studies

Notes and References

References

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Featured Liberal Arts Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >