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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

50 Ranked Colleges
5,907 Degrees Awarded
$12,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 112,019 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,678 and $19,082 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,907 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking analyzed 50 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 320 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, CSUN has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at CSUN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Monterey Bay. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 282 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at CSUMB

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 485 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Fresno

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 240 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at CSULB

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Stanislaus

#7

Brandman University

Irvine, California

Brandman University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Brandman University is located in Irvine, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 170 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Brandman also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman University is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Brandman University

With a ranking of #8, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 315 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at CSUSB

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #9, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, SSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at SSU

With a ranking of #10, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 185 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also took the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend CSUSM.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Liberal Arts General Studies Report

California State University - Chico came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 210 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Chico State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Chico State

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #12, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 214 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at San Diego State University

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at San Francisco State University

California State University - East Bay ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#15

National University

La Jolla, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, National University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

National University also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at San Jose State

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUCI is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at CSUCI

California State University - Sacramento landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 189 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Liberal Arts General Studies Report

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 265 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Bakersfield

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Cal State LA.

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 General Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

California State University - Fullerton landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Liberal Arts General Studies Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 150 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

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 General Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#25

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, California

Thomas Aquinas College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #25. TAC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Paula, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, TAC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,526 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend Thomas Aquinas College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Thomas Aquinas College

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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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