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2023 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k) in California

15 Ranked Colleges
1,814 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Philosophy is the 86th most popular major in the country with 9,487 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 1,814 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in philosophy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent philosophy 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 philosophy program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The philosophy school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 15 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 106 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Berkeley

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 58 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,006 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Davis

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for california philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 more about Philosophy at UCR

4

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,568 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Philosophy Report

5
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 32 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Philosophy at USC

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,887 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Cal State LA

7

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,859 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Fresno State

8

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 37 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Fullerton

9

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,038 for california philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 full report on Philosophy at University of California - Santa Cruz

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for california philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - Northridge

11
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified ’s philosophy students in 2020-2021.

SFSU also made our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $10,705 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 Philosophy at San Francisco State University

12

California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,163 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State Philosophy Report

13

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 24 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for california philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Philosophy Report

14
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Biola is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Biola also made our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $27,024 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Biola

15
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 16 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Chapman also took the #7 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $34,946 for California Philosophy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at Chapman University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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