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2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

61 Ranked Colleges
13,973 Degrees Awarded
$12,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 134,326 general psychology students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 61 colleges that offered a degree in general psychology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general psychology 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 general psychology 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 psychology 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 Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology in California (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 499 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUDH General Psychology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 723 students 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 Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Psychology at Cal State Fullerton

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 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. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Psychology at CSULB

Out of the 61 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 804 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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 CSUN

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 622 bachelors’s psychology 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at University of California - Los Angeles

California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 443 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Fresno State General Psychology Report

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 Getting Aid ranking. Stan State 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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

University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 306 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at UC Irvine

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 687 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full CSUSB General Psychology Report

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 489 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology 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 full report on General Psychology at California State University - Sacramento

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 234 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Full California State University - Bakersfield General Psychology Report

University of California - San Diego landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 200 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSD General Psychology Report

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #13, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 428 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

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

Read full report on 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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 345 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

Full Cal State East Bay General Psychology Report

California State University - San Marcos came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 307 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at CSUSM

#16

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 524 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SDSU General Psychology Report

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 - Monterey Bay

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 408 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Full San Francisco State University General Psychology Report

#19

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Psychology at University of California - Santa Cruz

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 269 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree psychology 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 more about General Psychology at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 327 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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%.

Full California State University - Channel Islands General Psychology Report

California State University - Chico came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 342 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

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 Chico State

University of California - Merced landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 241 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $13,896 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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

Read full report on General Psychology at UC Merced

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 124 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Psychology at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#25

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 213 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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%.

Full Sonoma State University 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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