2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California
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 an Associate in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 365,980 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across California, there were 94,556 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 31,527 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California” ranking looked at 53 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
The liberal studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California
Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pasadena City College landed the #1 spot on the list. Pasadena City College is a large school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 1,615 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Pasadena City College also made our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Pasadena City College is $2,920 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles Pierce College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California. Los Angeles Pierce College is a fairly large school located in Woodland Hills, California that handed out 1,400 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california associate degree liberal studies students list, Pierce College has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,875 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Los Angeles Pierce College.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden West College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California. Golden West College is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington Beach, California. It awarded 1,672 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Golden West College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Golden West College is $2,862 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend El Camino College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California. El Camino College is a public institution located in Torrance, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 685 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
El Camino College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,434 for california associate degree liberal studies students per year to attend El Camino College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Barbara City College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this fairly large public school handed out 567 degrees to qualified associates’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
SBCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SBCC is $7,556 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Santa Barbara City College
Los Angeles Harbor College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #6. Wilmington, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s liberal studies degrees to 720 students in 2019-2020.
LAHC also made our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Harbor College is $9,334 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Grossmont College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in El Cajon, California, and it awarded 655 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grossmont College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,897 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Grossmont College.
With a ranking of #8, City College of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. City College of San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 associates’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
City College of San Francisco not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend City College of San Francisco is $3,267 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at City College of San Francisco
Palomar College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. Palomar College is a large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 70 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Palomar College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Palomar College is $3,673 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students.
With a ranking of #10, Riverside City College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 502 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Riverside City College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Riverside City College is $4,620 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Santa Ana College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. This large school is located in Santa Ana, California, and it awarded 237 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
SAC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Ana College is $3,801 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Compton College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. Compton College is a small school located in Compton, California that handed out 124 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Compton College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,215 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Compton College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Orange Coast College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s liberal studies degrees to 481 students in 2019-2020.
Orange Coast College also made our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Orange Coast College is $3,178 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Moreno Valley College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Moreno Valley College is a public institution located in Moreno Valley, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 276 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Moreno Valley College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,633 for california associate degree liberal studies students per year to attend Moreno Valley College.
Ventura College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ventura, California, and it awarded 773 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ventura College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ventura College is $1,514 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students.
Chabot College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Chabot College is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 407 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Chabot College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chabot College is $4,192 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Evergreen Valley College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Evergreen Valley College is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Evergreen Valley College also made our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $10,701 for california associate degree liberal studies students per year to attend Evergreen Valley College.
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%.
Norco College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #18. Norco College is a fairly large school located in Norco, California that handed out 219 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california associate degree liberal studies students list, Norco College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,099 for california associate degree liberal studies students per year to attend Norco College.
Los Angeles Southwest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #19. Los Angeles Southwest College is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 545 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Los Angeles Southwest College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Southwest College is $6,548 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Los Angeles Southwest College
East Los Angeles College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. This large school is located in Monterey Park, California, and it awarded 3 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
East Los Angeles College also made our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for East Los Angeles College is $9,570 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students.
College of the Sequoias ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. Located in Visalia, California, this fairly large public school awarded 879 diplomas to qualified associates’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for College of the Sequoias is $1,116 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
With a ranking of #22, West Valley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. West Valley College is located in Saratoga, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 232 associates’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
West Valley College also took the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,791 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend West Valley College.
Saddleback College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Saddleback College is a fairly large public school situated in Mission Viejo, California. It awarded 959 associates’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Saddleback College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saddleback College is $4,246 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
Rio Hondo College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California list. Whittier, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s liberal studies degrees to 490 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Rio Hondo College is $5,487 for california associate degree liberal studies students.
College of the Redwoods came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for an Associate in California ranking. College of the Redwoods is a public institution located in Eureka, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 117 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend College of the Redwoods is $4,773 for California Associate Degree Liberal Studies students.
- Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in California
Liberal Arts students in the state of California
Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California
Liberal Arts students in California
Most Popular Associate Degree Online Liberal Arts Schools
Liberal Arts students in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California
Liberal Arts students with family income less than $30k in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California
Liberal Arts students with family income $48-$75k in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income Over $110k) in California
Liberal Arts students with family income exceeding $110k in California
Highest Paid Associate Degree Liberal Arts Graduates in California
Liberal Arts students in California
Most Popular Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California
Liberal Arts students in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California (With Aid)
Liberal Arts students getting aid in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California
Liberal Arts students with family income $30-$48k in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $75-$110k) in California
Liberal Arts students with family income $75-$110k in California
Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in California
Liberal Arts students in California
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 > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
