2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

International Studies is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,874 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 58 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the international studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank International Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California.

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for International Studies in California

#1

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

#1 in overall quality

$29,347 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 10 masters’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Read more about International Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#2

Concordia University, Irvine

Irvine, California

#5 in overall quality

$8,121 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$35,774 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. Concordia University, Irvine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Irvine also made our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Irvine are $8,121.

Read full report on International Studies at Concordia University, Irvine

#3

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California

#4 in overall quality

$26,710 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$46,478 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of San Francisco. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 17 masters’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USFCA are $26,710, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on International Studies at USFCA

#4

Chapman University

Orange, California

#3 in overall quality

$35,105 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chapman University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California list. Chapman University is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 2 masters’s international studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Chapman are $35,105, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Chapman International Studies Report

#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

#2 in overall quality

$48,715 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$62,012 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value International Studies Schools for a Master’s in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s international studies students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best International Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about International Studies at University of Southern California

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for International Studies in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for International Studies

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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