2023 Best Value Colleges for International Studies in California (With Aid)
14
Ranked Colleges
1,569
Degrees Awarded
$20,000
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
International Studies is the 100th most popular major in the country with 7,368 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,569 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,635 and $16,885 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent international studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the international studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for International Studies in California (With Aid)
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 585 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #4 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,240 for California International Studies students with aid per year to attend UCSD.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on International Studies at University of California - San Diego
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for california international studies students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 more about International Studies at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 293 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for California International Studies students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 172 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also took the #6 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for California International Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 94%.
Full UC Irvine International Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 42 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,023 for California International Studies students with aid per year to attend UCLA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about International Studies at UCLA
California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 44 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for california international 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at CSULB
With a ranking of #7, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,542 for california international studies students with aid.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Jose State International Studies Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 27 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,822 for California International Studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 UCR International Studies Report
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california international studies students with aid list, CSUMB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $13,597 for california international studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUMB International Studies Report
Humboldt State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 17 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california international studies students with aid list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for california international studies students with aid.
Full Humboldt State University International Studies Report
University of Southern California landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $32,569 for California International Studies students with aid.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Studies at University of Southern California
Concordia University, Irvine came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Irvine, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Irvine is $27,201 for California International Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Studies at Concordia University, Irvine
Pepperdine University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Malibu, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.
Pepperdine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $38,846 for California International Studies students with aid per year to attend Pepperdine University.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Full Pepperdine University International Studies Report
University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 11 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.
USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best International Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USFCA is $40,053 for California International Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of San Francisco International Studies 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
- *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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Yerpo.
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