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

37 Ranked Colleges
2,323 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 31,150 people earned their degree in general economics, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 5,348 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,323 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 37 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general economics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Economics Schools

The general economics 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

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

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

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 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 #1 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 131 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA General Economics Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 349 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on General Economics at University of California - Irvine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k 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 full report on General Economics at Cal State LA

#4

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pitzer College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitzer, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer is $15,922 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Pitzer

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 154 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about General Economics at UCR

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at California State University - Fullerton

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 236 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on General Economics at San Diego State University

California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

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

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%. 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 Fresno State General Economics Report

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree general economics 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 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 General Economics at California State University - Stanislaus

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full CSULB General Economics Report

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 118 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on General Economics at CSUN

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read more about General Economics at California State University - Bakersfield

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 195 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Economics Report

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Economics at California State University - San Bernardino

#6 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo General Economics Report

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 125 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 General Economics at UC Santa Cruz

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#13 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at San Jose State

#24 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k 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 General Economics at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

With a ranking of #19, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos General Economics Report

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Economics at SFSU

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,131 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUCI.

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%.

Read more about General Economics at California State University - Channel Islands

California State University - East Bay came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

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

Read more about General Economics at Cal State East Bay

#23

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 45 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $12,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about General Economics at SSU

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 General Economics at California State University - Chico

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. UC Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,782 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Merced.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at UC Merced

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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 pixabay.

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