Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $30-$48k) in California

23 Ranked Colleges
1,233 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 10,015 people earned their degree in philosophy, making the major the 81st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,067 and had an average of $22,199 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,774 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,175 and $17,728 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,233 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 For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered 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 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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s philosophy 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. It costs about $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Los Angeles

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 29 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #9 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

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 CSUN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - Long Beach

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 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 estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Irvine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 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 University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Philosophy Report

University of California - Riverside ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #10 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 University of California - Riverside

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 139 students 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. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 full report on Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Fullerton

University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 27 students 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. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full California State University - Fresno Philosophy Report

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full San Diego State University Philosophy Report

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Philosophy at USC

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

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 San Francisco State University is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SFSU Philosophy Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 took the #19 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Sac State

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

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 $30-$48k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Philosophy at San Jose State

With a ranking of #17, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s philosophy 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 $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Philosophy Report

California State University - East Bay came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - East Bay

#19

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

Westmont College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Westmont is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westmont, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westmont is $26,078 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on 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 $30-$48k list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k 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 $21,716 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Baptist University

#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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This medium-sized school is located in La Mirada, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $25,855 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Philosophy at Biola University

#22

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $35,166 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Loyola Marymount University Philosophy Report

#23

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #23, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

USFCA also took the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $29,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of San Francisco Philosophy Report

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.

Featured Philosophy and Religious Studies Schools

Find Schools Near You