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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in California

61 Ranked Colleges
13,973 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 134,326 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, general psychology is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, general psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,999 and had an average of $26,247 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 27,163 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,241 and $31,161 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,973 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 61 colleges that offered a degree in general psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general psychology 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 general psychology 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 Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) 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 Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 622 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCLA General Psychology Report

Out of the 61 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 723 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton General Psychology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 306 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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.

Read more about General Psychology at UC Irvine

Out of the 61 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #4 spot on the list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 499 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills General Psychology Report

Out of the 61 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 503 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on General Psychology at California State University - Long Beach

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 443 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree psychology 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at Fresno State

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 373 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

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 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 Stan State General Psychology Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 804 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 General Psychology at California State University - Northridge

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 524 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on General Psychology at SDSU

With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 200 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Psychology at UCSD

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 687 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about General Psychology at CSUSB

California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 489 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 General Psychology at Sac State

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 234 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at CSUB

#14

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 514 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

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 General Psychology at University of California - Santa Cruz

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 307 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at CSUSM

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 428 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Psychology at San Jose State

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 345 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Psychology at California State University - East Bay

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $7,688 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay General Psychology Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%.

Read more about General Psychology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#20

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #20, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 156 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of Southern California

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 408 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Psychology at San Francisco State University

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 269 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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

Read full report on General Psychology at Cal Poly Pomona

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 342 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 General Psychology at California State University - Chico

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 327 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,131 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUCI.

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 full report on General Psychology at CSUCI

University of California - Merced came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 241 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Merced General Psychology Report

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to BruceBlaus.

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