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2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

23 Ranked Colleges
1,188 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's in California

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” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality philosophy programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Northridge

#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 #2 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Philosophy Report

#3

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 that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 127 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy 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 Philosophy at University of California - Los Angeles

#4

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend UCSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara

#5

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Read more about Philosophy at SFSU

#6

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#11 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, San Jose State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend San Jose State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Philosophy at San Jose State University

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Davis

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 42 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Irvine

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Philosophy at Fresno State

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Philosophy Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 40 bachelors’s philosophy 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 Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy 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 more about Philosophy at University of California - Riverside

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, SDSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 San Diego State University Philosophy Report

#13

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 97 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Berkeley

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Philosophy Report

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 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 yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Santa Cruz

#23 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - East Bay

#18

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#21 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $24,707 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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 full report on Philosophy at California Baptist University

#19

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#12 in overall quality

Biola University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Biola is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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 $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend Biola.

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 Biola

#20

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

Westmont College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, Westmont has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westmont is $31,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Westmont College

#21

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 ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also took the #13 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Loyola Marymount Philosophy Report

#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 ranking. University of San Francisco is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students 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

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend USC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 full report on Philosophy at USC

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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.

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