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2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

59 Ranked Colleges
13,973 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 134,326 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general psychology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 622 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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

Full UCLA General Psychology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 723 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Psychology at Cal State Fullerton

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 499 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at CSUDH

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 306 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 full report on General Psychology at UC Irvine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 503 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at CSULB

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 $30-$48k list. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 443 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at Fresno State

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 373 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Psychology at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 804 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full CSUN General Psychology Report

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 687 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.

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

Read more about General Psychology at California State University - San Bernardino

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 200 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of California - San Diego General Psychology Report

California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 489 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Psychology Report

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 234 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,880 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.

Read more about General Psychology at CSUB

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 524 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full SDSU General Psychology Report

#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 $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 514 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at UC Santa Cruz

With a ranking of #15, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full CSUSM General Psychology Report

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 428 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at San Jose State University

California State University - East Bay landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - 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 also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay General Psychology Report

#18

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 156 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Southern California General Psychology Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 124 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k 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 $14,680 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about General Psychology at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 242 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $9,567 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay General Psychology Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 408 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about General Psychology at SFSU

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California

Occidental College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oxy is $17,662 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 General Psychology at Oxy

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 342 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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%.

Full California State University - Chico General Psychology Report

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Channel Islands is located in Camarillo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 327 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $11,497 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 CSUCI General Psychology Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 269 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Psychology at Cal Poly Pomona

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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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