2023 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy & Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California
14
Ranked Colleges
2,395
Degrees Awarded
$13,400
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 19,993 people earned their degree in philosophy and religious studies, making the major the 28th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, philosophy and religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,946 and had an average of $22,275 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 2,395 philosophy and religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,148 and $16,587 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy and religious studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent philosophy and religious studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the philosophy and religious studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools
The philosophy & religious studies 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 & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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 & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Philosophy & Religious Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 106 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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 & Religious Studies at UC Berkeley
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 68 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at UC Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 79 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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 & Religious Studies at UCR
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,568 for california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 & Religious Studies at UCSB
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at USC
California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at Cal State Fullerton
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 68 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full UC Santa Cruz Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
CSUN also made our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 & Religious Studies at California State University - Northridge
California State University - Sacramento came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 32 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,163 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
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 & Religious Studies at Sac State
San Francisco State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $10,705 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies 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%.
Full SFSU Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Cal Poly Pomona
Biola University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified ’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2020-2021.
Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” list. It costs about $27,024 for California Philosophy & Religious Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Biola University.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Biola University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
California Baptist University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 31 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,769 for california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Baptist.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California Baptist University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report
Chapman University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 18 ’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california philosophy & religious studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chapman has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $34,946 for california philosophy & religious studies 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 & Religious Studies at Chapman University
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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
- *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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