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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Psychology (Income $75-$110k) in California

64 Ranked Colleges
17,900 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

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 Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 183,889 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,496 and had an average of $36,227 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 37,071 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,748 and $53,340 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 17,900 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 $75-$110k” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Psychology Schools

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 $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Psychology (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,631 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a 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 full report on Psychology at Stanford

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Pomona has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona is $16,877 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Psychology at Pomona

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #3 spot on the list. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $12,916 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Psychology at California State University - Fullerton

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 275 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $21,401 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 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 Psychology at UC Berkeley

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. 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 #19 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,544 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Psychology at California State University - Long Beach

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 499 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $10,904 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Psychology at CSUDH

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 373 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $12,381 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Psychology at Stan State

California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 456 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Psychology at Fresno State

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 806 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,622 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Full University of California - Davis Psychology Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $15,346 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full CSUN Psychology Report

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 1,020 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $19,590 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Psychology at University of California - Los Angeles

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 600 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $18,395 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at University of California - Riverside

#13

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 687 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $13,611 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSUSB Psychology Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 489 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $15,812 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at Sac State

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 234 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Psychology at CSUB

#15 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 1,004 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $19,851 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Psychology at University of California - Irvine

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#12 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 428 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,805 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 San Jose State University Psychology Report

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 307 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $18,620 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read more about Psychology at California State University - San Marcos

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 345 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $17,710 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Psychology at Cal State East Bay

#20

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#13 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 579 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,226 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSB Psychology Report

#21

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 524 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $18,766 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full San Diego State University Psychology Report

#18 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 463 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $20,205 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Psychology at UCSD

With a ranking of #23, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 269 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $17,944 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Psychology at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 242 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $17,719 for California Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Psychology Report

#25

Simpson University

Redding, California

Simpson University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Redding, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Simpson U is $18,994 for california bachelor’s degree psychology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Simpson University Psychology Report

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.

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