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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics in California

37 Ranked Colleges
2,323 Degrees Awarded
$12,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

General Economics is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 31,150 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer a degree in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics programs, but they also cost less that 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.

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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics 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. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 131 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Economics 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 general economics 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at University of California - Los Angeles

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal Poly 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 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 $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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%.

Read more about General Economics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at California State University - Long Beach

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students list, CSUN has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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 more about General Economics at California State University - Northridge

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno General Economics Report

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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

Full UC Irvine General Economics Report

#6

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#13 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 127 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students per year to attend San Jose State.

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 full report on General Economics at San Jose State University

#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 ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 236 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree general economics 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at SDSU

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students list, SSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 more about General Economics at SSU

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 195 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students list, CSUCI has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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%.

Full CSUCI General Economics Report

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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

Full Cal State Fullerton General Economics Report

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus General Economics Report

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 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 $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree general economics 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 General Economics at California State University - Chico

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Read more about General Economics at SFSU

#16

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 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 $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 more about General Economics at University of California - Riverside

California State University - San Marcos ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos General Economics Report

#24 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Economics at Cal Poly Pomona

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 General Economics at California State University - Los Angeles

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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

California State University - East Bay ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full California State University - East Bay General Economics Report

#22

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #22, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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 CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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

#23

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 125 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general economics students list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 University of California - Santa Cruz General Economics Report

#24

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #24, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Full Humboldt State University General Economics Report

University of California - Merced ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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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