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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy in California

23 Ranked Colleges
1,233 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great philosophy programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #9 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at CSUN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy students list, CSULB has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy at CSULB

#3

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 #3 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Philosophy Report

#4

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

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 also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Santa Barbara

#5

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Francisco State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

Read full report on Philosophy at SFSU

#6

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #6, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

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

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Philosophy at University of California - Davis

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. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Irvine Philosophy Report

California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Fresno State 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Fullerton came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal State 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.

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. It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy at California State University - Fullerton

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 47 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 UCR

#12

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 ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend 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%.

Read more about Philosophy at San Diego State University

#13

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 97 students 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 UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at UC Berkeley

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State 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%.

Full Sac State Philosophy Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Poly 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. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at Cal Poly Pomona

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

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. UC 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 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 UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Philosophy Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s philosophy degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State 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 did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students 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%.

Full Cal Baptist Philosophy Report

#19

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 ranking, coming in at #19. Biola 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 $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students per year to attend Biola.

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

#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 College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s 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 $31,145 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend Westmont.

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

#21

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy students.

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. 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 Loyola Marymount Philosophy Report

#22

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #22, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s philosophy degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA also made our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $36,424 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students per year to attend University of San Francisco.

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%.

Read full report on Philosophy at USFCA

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #23. 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 55 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Philosophy at University of Southern California

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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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