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2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

64 Ranked Colleges
40,588 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 195,678 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,611 and had an average of $25,989 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 40,588 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,013 and $22,554 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 64 colleges that offered a degree in psychology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great psychology programs and 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 psychology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Psychology (Income $48-$75k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 63 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Psychology at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 1,116 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad 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 full report on Psychology at UCLA

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 1,206 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $13,275 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Psychology at University of California - Irvine

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 812 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Psychology at Cal State Fullerton

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 511 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,333 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at CSUDH

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 528 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $8,030 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Psychology at Fresno State

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 326 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,423 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.

Read more about Psychology at UC Berkeley

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 589 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UCSD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Psychology at University of California - San Diego

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 576 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,189 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Psychology at CSULB

10

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 414 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $7,976 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 Stan State Psychology Report

11

University of California - Davis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 902 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,193 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Psychology at University of California - Davis

12

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 623 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $9,854 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Psychology at CSUSB

13
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 385 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,768 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mt. San Antonio College.

Read more about Psychology at Mt. SAC

14

California State University - Northridge ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 912 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,780 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN Psychology Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 602 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,583 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Psychology at UCSB

16

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 616 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,602 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Psychology Report

17

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 520 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Psychology Report

18
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California

College of the Canyons came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. College of the Canyons is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 263 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for College of the Canyons is $7,307 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Psychology at College of the Canyons

19

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 624 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCR has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Psychology at University of California - Riverside

20

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 293 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $9,102 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Psychology at California State University - Bakersfield

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 657 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Psychology at SDSU

22

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 430 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at California State University - East Bay

23
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 515 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $17,338 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at San Jose State University

24
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 313 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $22,826 for California Psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 undergraduate 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 Psychology Report

25
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 171 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno City College is $6,065 for california psychology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Fresno City College Psychology Report

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