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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology in California

69 Ranked Colleges
13,973 Degrees Awarded
$12,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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” ranking analyzed 69 colleges that offered a degree in general psychology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general psychology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general psychology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Psychology Schools

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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Psychology in California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. 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.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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

Full CSULB General Psychology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 804 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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

#3

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State University 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree psychology students list, San Jose State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students per year to attend San Jose State.

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

Full San Jose State University General Psychology Report

#4

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 #4 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 622 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Psychology at UCLA

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #5 spot on the list. 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 $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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%.

Read full report on General Psychology at CSUMB

California State University - San Marcos came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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%.

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

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 443 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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

Full California State University - Fresno General Psychology Report

California State University - East Bay came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 345 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

Read full report on General Psychology at Cal State East Bay

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - 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%. 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 General Psychology at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 723 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Psychology Report

California State University - Chico ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 342 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students per year to attend Chico State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico General Psychology Report

#13

Palo Alto University

Palo Alto, California
#2 in overall quality

Palo Alto University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Palo Alto, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Pacific Graduate School of Psychology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

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%.

Read more about General Psychology at Palo Alto University

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree psychology students list, Sac State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Psychology Report

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 373 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus General Psychology Report

#16

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 687 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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 more about General Psychology at California State University - San Bernardino

#17

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 213 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students.

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 SSU General Psychology Report

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SFSU 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 $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students.

Full SFSU General Psychology Report

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 327 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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 CSUCI General Psychology Report

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 200 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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

Read full report on General Psychology at University of California - San Diego

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 306 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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%. 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 University of California - Irvine

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 499 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

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%.

Read more about General Psychology at CSUDH

#23

Brandman University

Irvine, California

Brandman University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Brandman is a fairly large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 199 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandman, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brandman is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students.

Full Brandman University General Psychology Report

#24

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #24, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 524 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students per year to attend San Diego State University.

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

Read more about General Psychology at SDSU

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 269 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 General Psychology at California State Polytechnic University - 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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