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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Studies in California

16 Ranked Colleges
1,596 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 7,874 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,355 and had an average of $22,904 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,655 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,388 and $20,926 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,596 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in international studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great international studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank International Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

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

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Studies in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree international studies students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about International Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 631 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Studies at UCSD

#3

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

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 for a Bachelor’s in California. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 366 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students per year to attend UCSB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full UCSB International Studies Report

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 194 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree international studies students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree international studies students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine International Studies Report

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #9 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree international studies students.

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%.

Read more about International Studies at CSULB

#1 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 96%.

Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree international studies students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at San Jose State University

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also took the #14 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students 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%.

Full CSUMB International Studies Report

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read full report on International Studies at SDSU

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at UCR

#11

National University

La Jolla, California
#13 in overall quality

National University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

National University also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full National University International Studies Report

#12

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#16 in overall quality

Humboldt State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.

Read full report on International Studies at Humboldt State University

#13

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#12 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $24,707 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students per year to attend California Baptist University.

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 Cal Baptist International Studies Report

#14

Concordia University, Irvine

Irvine, California
#15 in overall quality

Concordia University, Irvine landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Irvine, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Irvine is $26,143 for california bachelor’s degree international studies students.

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%.

Read full report on International Studies at Concordia University, Irvine

#15

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California

Pepperdine University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Malibu, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pepperdine is $36,996 for california bachelor’s degree international studies students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at Pepperdine University

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree international studies students list, USC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best International Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree International Studies students.

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 impressive 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.

Full University of Southern California 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

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Yerpo.

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