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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy & Religious Studies in California (With Aid)

24 Ranked Colleges
1,545 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

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 & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 20,201 people earned their degree in philosophy and religious studies, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, philosophy and religious studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $30,177 and had an average of $24,197 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,272 philosophy and religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,164 and $23,185 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,545 philosophy and religious studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in philosophy and religious studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality philosophy and religious studies 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 and religious studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

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 & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Philosophy & Religious Studies in California (With Aid)

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

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%. 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 California State University - Long Beach

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

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 more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at CSUN

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

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 & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid per year to attend UCLA.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at UC Irvine

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid list, UCR has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at UCR

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid list, Fresno State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State University - Fresno Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#8

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 168 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

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 & Religious Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 68 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

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 more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at California State University - Sacramento

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#18 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at SDSU

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#14 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

Full San Francisco State University Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#13

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#10 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

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

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at San Jose State University

#21 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 & Religious Studies at Cal Poly Pomona

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

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%. 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 & Religious Studies at UC Santa Cruz

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies 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 & religious studies students with aid.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at California State University - East Bay

#17 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanguard, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,051 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid per year to attend Vanguard University of Southern California.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanguard University of Southern California Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#19

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

Westmont College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Westmont not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Westmont is $31,145 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

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%.

Full Westmont Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#20

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#22 in overall quality

California Baptist University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist also made our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $24,707 for california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid.

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 more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at California Baptist University

#21

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 60 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Philosophy & Religious Studies at University of Southern California

#22

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#11 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Biola University is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree philosophy & religious studies students with aid list, Biola has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid per year to attend Biola University.

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 & Religious Studies at Biola University

#23

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#13 in overall quality

University of San Francisco ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. USFCA is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees to qualified students.

USFCA also made our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Francisco is $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of San Francisco Philosophy & Religious Studies Report

#24

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#12 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Philosophy & Religious Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola Marymount is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s philosophy and religious studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Philosophy & Religious Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Philosophy & Religious Studies students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Philosophy & Religious Studies at Loyola Marymount

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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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