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2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k

42 Ranked Colleges
5,493 Degrees Awarded
$21,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.

Across California, there were 94,556 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,493 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 liberal arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income Over $110k) in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Cal State LA

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the #2 spot on the list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Liberal Arts Report

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 485 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Fresno State

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Northridge

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend CSUDH.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 240 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Long Beach Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 125 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Liberal Arts Report

#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 78 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 206 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at SDSU

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #11 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 265 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Liberal Arts Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 138 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Monterey Bay

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 177 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Sacramento

#24 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 130 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Cal Poly Pomona

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 185 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Liberal Arts Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Liberal Arts Report

#17

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, SFSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at SFSU

#18

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#18 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at San Jose State University

#19

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, California
#8 in overall quality

Soka University of America came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Soka University of America is located in Aliso Viejo, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 93 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Soka University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Soka University is $13,914 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Soka University of America

#20

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#14 in overall quality

Sonoma State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k list, SSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SSU Liberal Arts Report

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Chico landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 205 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Chico State Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 126 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at CSUCI

#23

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#23 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #23. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 142 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UCR

#24

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MSMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,214 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Mount Saint Mary’s University

#25

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, California
#7 in overall quality

Thomas Aquinas College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Thomas Aquinas College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Paula, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TAC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Thomas Aquinas College is $25,526 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full TAC Liberal Arts Report

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.

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