College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

15 Ranked Colleges
1,878 Degrees Awarded
$12,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Philosophy is the 83rd most popular major in the country with 10,054 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, philosophy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,510 and had an average of $21,514 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,878 philosophy graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,527 and $16,062 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Philosophy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 15 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy (Income $30-$48k) in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,999 for california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at UC Berkeley

2

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 58 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $11,598 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 more about Philosophy at University of California - Davis

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,193 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Philosophy at University of California - Riverside

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 17 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 15 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,655 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Fresno

6

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 144 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,606 for california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 UCSB

7

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Philosophy Report

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,345 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The undergrad 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 more about Philosophy at University of Southern California

9

California State University - Northridge came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 22 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also made our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $7,103 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at CSUN

10

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 67 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,049 for california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Santa Cruz

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 32 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at California State University - Sacramento

12
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,862 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFSU.

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 more about Philosophy at SFSU

13

With a ranking of #13, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 24 ’s philosophy degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Cal Poly Pomona

14
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Biola University 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,419 for california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Biola

15
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #15, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapman is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chapman has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Philosophy Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $32,071 for California Philosophy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy at Chapman University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options