Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Economics

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

37 Ranked Colleges
2,323 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer a degree in general economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general economics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 131 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on General Economics at University of California - Los Angeles

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 349 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at University of California - Irvine

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles 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 $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles General Economics Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton General Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 30 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Full California State University - Fresno General Economics Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 154 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 University of California - Riverside

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Stan State General Economics Report

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 236 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about General Economics at SDSU

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Long Beach General Economics Report

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge 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 $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Economics Report

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 24 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at CSUB

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 195 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k 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 General Economics at California State University - Sacramento

#13

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on General Economics at CSUSB

#6 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Economics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 125 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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

Full University of California - Santa Cruz General Economics Report

#16

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Pitzer College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pitzer is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitzer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer is $7,693 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Economics at Pitzer

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#13 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at San Jose State University

With a ranking of #18, 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 $30-$48k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at California State University - San Marcos

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 76 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Economics at SFSU

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, 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 $30-$48k list. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $11,497 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.

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%.

Full California State University - Channel Islands General Economics Report

With a ranking of #21, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read full report on General Economics at California State University - East Bay

#24 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#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 $30-$48k list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $13,248 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full SSU General Economics Report

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Chico State General Economics Report

University of California - Merced ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Full UC Merced General Economics Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Economics Schools

Find Schools Near You