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2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

40 Ranked Colleges
1,764 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor's in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Anthropology is the 71st most popular major in the country with 11,652 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, we looked at 40 colleges that offer a degree in anthropology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent anthropology programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Anthropology Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

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

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

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 252 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 96%.

Read full report on Anthropology at UCLA

#2

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 173 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Anthropology at UCSB

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Anthropology at Fresno State

#23 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students list, CSULB has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Anthropology Report

#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 Anthropology at California State University - Sacramento

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Anthropology Report

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 91 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Anthropology Report

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. San Francisco, 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.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

Full SFSU Anthropology Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Anthropology at University of California - San Diego

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUCI, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Full California State University - Channel Islands Anthropology Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #20 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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 more about Anthropology at Cal State Fullerton

#12

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Anthropology at Sonoma State University

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Irvine Anthropology Report

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Anthropology at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - San Marcos 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 $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Anthropology Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The low 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%.

Read more about Anthropology at California State University - Los Angeles

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Anthropology Report

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

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

Read more about Anthropology at California State University - Chico

#19

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Anthropology at CSUSB

#20

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Anthropology at SDSU

California State University - East Bay came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read more about Anthropology at Cal State East Bay

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students list, UC Davis has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Anthropology at University of California - Davis

#23

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#13 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 103 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Anthropology at University of California - Riverside

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

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

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Anthropology Report

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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.

It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Anthropology Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

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

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