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2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

40 Ranked Colleges
1,764 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 11,652 people earned their degree in anthropology, making the major the 71st most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 2,912 anthropology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,764 anthropology graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 40 colleges that offered a degree in anthropology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great anthropology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the anthropology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Anthropology 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 Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Anthropology (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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. 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%.

Full Stanford Anthropology Report

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $6,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read more about Anthropology at Pomona College

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 252 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Anthropology Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Anthropology at University of California - Berkeley

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Anthropology at California State University - Los Angeles

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 more about Anthropology at UC Irvine

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton Anthropology Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Anthropology at California State University - Fresno

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 173 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Anthropology at UCSB

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 103 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCR Anthropology Report

#11

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#8 in overall quality

Pitzer College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Pitzer also took the #8 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer College is $15,922 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Anthropology at Pitzer

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Anthropology at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Anthropology at CSUDH

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Read more about Anthropology at UCSD

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Anthropology at San Diego State University

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Anthropology at CSULB

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Davis Anthropology Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 60 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k 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 Anthropology Report

California State University - Northridge ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 64 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Anthropology Report

#20

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

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

Full California State University - San Bernardino Anthropology Report

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Anthropology at University of California - Santa Cruz

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Anthropology at CSUB

#23

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Anthropology at SFSU

California State University - San Marcos came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 31 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Anthropology at California State University - San Marcos

California State University - East Bay landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cal State East Bay Anthropology 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Deror avi.

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