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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k) in California

23 Ranked Colleges
1,188 Degrees Awarded
$12,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 9,456 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 82nd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,723 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,188 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality philosophy programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the philosophy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Philosophy Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at UCLA

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 more about Philosophy at University of California - Irvine

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley

#9 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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 29 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Philosophy at CSUN

#8 in overall quality

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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 32 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at CSULB

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Philosophy Report

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 139 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Philosophy at UCSB

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Philosophy Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Philosophy Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Fresno State

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full San Diego State University Philosophy Report

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#14 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 35 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Philosophy at SFSU

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Sacramento

#14

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 54 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #16 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Philosophy Report

#15

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Southern California Philosophy Report

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Philosophy Report

#20 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 87%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Philosophy Report

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cal State East Bay Philosophy Report

#19

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Westmont College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Westmont did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $23,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Westmont.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Philosophy at Westmont College

#20

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $20,277 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Cal Baptist

#21

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#12 in overall quality

Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Biola University is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,135 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Biola University.

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 Philosophy at Biola University

#22

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

University of San Francisco came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

USFCA also took the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $27,690 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USFCA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at USFCA

#23

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#13 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,367 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 full report on Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University

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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