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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

48 Ranked Colleges
5,907 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 559,661 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 48 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities 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

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 Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in California

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 180 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k 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 / Sciences & Humanities at Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Stanislaus

#22 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 Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 485 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full Fresno State Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 320 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSUN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 150 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSUDH

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 214 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k 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 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SDSU

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 240 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Long Beach

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 125 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#1 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 108 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

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 / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - San Bernardino

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 142 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UCR

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 265 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 189 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 / Sciences & Humanities Report

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 282 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,688 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Monterey Bay

#21 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

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 / Sciences & Humanities Report

California State University - East Bay came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - East Bay

#25 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #25 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#19

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at San Jose State

California State University - Chico ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 210 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 California State University - Chico Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 148 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

SSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $12,263 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 / Sciences & Humanities Report

#22

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, California
#7 in overall quality

Thomas Aquinas College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Paula, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 95 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

TAC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend TAC is $19,672 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Thomas Aquinas College

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 126 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $10,131 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 / Sciences & Humanities at CSUCI

#24

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Humboldt State University

#25

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, California
#9 in overall quality

Soka University of America ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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 arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Soka University, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Soka University is $9,831 for california bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Soka University of America Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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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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