College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

49 Ranked Colleges
10,520 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 10,520 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,538 and $16,731 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 economics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Economics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The 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 Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $75-$110k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 116 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,623 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Stanford University

2
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 116 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california economics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna College is $28,087 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Economics at Claremont McKenna College

3
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 46 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Pomona also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,763 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Pomona College.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at Pomona College

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 884 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Economics Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $20,697 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UCLA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 808 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california economics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $21,601 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full UC Berkeley Economics Report

6

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 661 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $18,728 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UC Davis

7

University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 490 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $20,567 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Irvine Economics Report

8

University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 480 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Economics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $20,906 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at UCSD

9
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SRJC is a fairly large school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 21 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $10,357 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full SRJC Economics Report

10

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 723 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,581 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 91%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Economics Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $12,977 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Cal State Fullerton

12

California State University - Fresno landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $12,789 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Economics Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 375 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also made our “Best Economics Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $16,887 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Economics at University of California - Riverside

14

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,011 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Cal State LA

15

California State University - Long Beach came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 84 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,101 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at CSULB

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 259 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $18,957 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at San Diego State University

17

California State University - Sacramento ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Economics Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,925 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Sac State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Economics Report

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 15 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $12,642 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at Stan State

19
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. American River is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend American River is $9,707 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Economics at American River

20

California State University - Northridge ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 95 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $15,380 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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 CSUN Economics Report

21

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 219 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,380 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.

Read more about Economics at UC Santa Cruz

22
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

With a ranking of #22, East Los Angeles College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. East Los Angeles College is located in Monterey Park, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 109 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,372 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend East Los Angeles College.

Read more about Economics at East Los Angeles College

23
MSJC crest
Mt. San Jacinto College
San Jacinto, California

Mt. San Jacinto College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. MSJC is a fairly large school located in San Jacinto, California that handed out 21 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Mt. San Jacinto College is $10,197 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Economics at Mt. San Jacinto College

24

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 14 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,441 for California Economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUB.

Read more about Economics at California State University - Bakersfield

25

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $14,338 for california economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 CSUSB Economics Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options