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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Anthropology in California

42 Ranked Colleges
1,804 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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.

In 2019-2020, 12,008 people earned their degree in anthropology, making the major the 77th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, anthropology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $24,661 and had an average of $23,289 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,956 anthropology graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,357 and $18,167 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,804 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” ranking analyzed 42 colleges that offered a degree in anthropology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality anthropology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the anthropology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 252 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles 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

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 also took the #5 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

Read full report on Anthropology at University of California - Santa Barbara

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

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

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%.

Read full report on Anthropology at California State University - Fresno

Out of the 42 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.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Full CSULB Anthropology Report

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. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students 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 Sac State.

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 more about Anthropology at Sac State

California State University - Northridge came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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%.

Read full report on Anthropology at California State University - Northridge

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 located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Anthropology Report

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree anthropology students list, SFSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Anthropology at SFSU

University of California - San Diego landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 77 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 estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UCSD Anthropology Report

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s anthropology students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also took 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 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 Anthropology at CSUCI

California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - 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.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #20 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

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.

Read full report on Anthropology at Cal State Fullerton

#12

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

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. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Anthropology at Sonoma State University

University of California - Irvine came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 77 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Anthropology at University of California - Irvine

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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 Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Anthropology Report

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Anthropology Report

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students per year to attend Cal State LA.

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 Cal State LA

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s anthropology degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 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. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Anthropology at Chico State

#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 public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

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

Read more about Anthropology at California State University - San Bernardino

#20

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 59 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

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 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%.

Full SDSU Anthropology Report

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #21. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students.

Read more about Anthropology at Cal State East Bay

University of California - Davis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Anthropology students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Anthropology at University of California - Davis

#23

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s anthropology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Anthropology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Anthropology at UCR

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #24. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s anthropology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree anthropology students per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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

Read more about Anthropology at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Anthropology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #25. 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 CSUDH.

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 full report on Anthropology at California State University - Dominguez Hills

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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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