2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California (With Aid)
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
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%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Liberal Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Stan State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend Stan State.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Stanislaus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 320 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 485 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 240 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 265 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 206 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid list, SDSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 177 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
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%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Liberal Arts Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 142 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Liberal Arts at University of California - Riverside
Soka University of America ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Aliso Viejo, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Soka University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Soka University is $13,914 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
California State University - San Marcos came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid list, CSUSM has also earned the #20 rank 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 with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - San Marcos
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 138 students in 2019-2020.
CSUMB also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
California State University - East Bay ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 115 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.
With a ranking of #20, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at San Jose State University
California State University - Channel Islands landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 126 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
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%.
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
SSU also took the #14 spot 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 with aid per year to attend SSU.
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%.
With a ranking of #23, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Chico
Brandman University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 170 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
Brandman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid per year to attend Brandman.
Humboldt State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 104 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (With Aid)
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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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