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2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

66 Ranked Colleges
40,588 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 66 colleges that offer 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.

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

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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 in California For Those Getting Aid”.

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 in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california psychology students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Psychology in California (With Aid)

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 Getting Aid. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $12,894 for California Psychology students with aid.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Psychology at Stanford

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 511 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,026 for california psychology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at California State University - Dominguez Hills

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 812 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California Psychology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at California State University - Fullerton

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 528 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for california psychology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Psychology Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 1,116 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for California Psychology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCLA Psychology Report

6

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 912 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for California Psychology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at CSUN

7

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 576 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California Psychology students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Psychology Report

8

University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 589 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,240 for california psychology students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Psychology Report

9

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 1,206 students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $12,209 for california psychology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Psychology at University of California - Irvine

10

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 414 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,566 for california psychology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad 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 Psychology at California State University - Stanislaus

11

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 623 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for California Psychology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 Psychology at CSUSB

12

California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 616 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for california psychology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at Sac State

13

California State University - East Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 430 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,298 for california psychology students with aid per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Cal State East Bay

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 515 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for California Psychology students with aid.

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%. 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 San Jose State

15
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Walnut, California, and it awarded 385 ’s psychology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,144 for California Psychology students with aid per year to attend Mt. SAC.

Read full report on Psychology at Mt. SAC

16

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 602 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for California Psychology students with aid.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at University of California - Santa Barbara

17

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 293 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $7,454 for California Psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at California State University - Bakersfield

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

College of the Canyons did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. 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 $5,094 for california psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at College of the Canyons

19

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 902 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for california psychology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at University of California - Davis

20

University of California - Riverside came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 624 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california psychology students with aid list, UCR has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,822 for california psychology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Psychology at UCR

21
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #21, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 657 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also made our “Best Psychology Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $13,845 for California Psychology students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Psychology at San Diego State University

22

California State University - San Marcos landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 336 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,218 for California Psychology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at California State University - San Marcos

23

University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 326 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #8 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for California Psychology students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Psychology at University of California - Berkeley

24

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 520 students 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. It costs about $17,930 for california psychology students with aid per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 Psychology at UC Santa Cruz

25

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Psychology Schools 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 ’s psychology degrees to 356 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $14,928 for California Psychology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at CSUCI

Notes and References

References

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