2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Economics is the 18th most popular major in the country with 48,831 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 9,937 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,367 and $16,994 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 457 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 for a Master’s in California”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California.
Top 21 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Economics in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 13 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Economics at University of California - San Diego
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #3 spot on the list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 16 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSB are $28,670, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Economics at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also took the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 28 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree economics students list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Economics at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Economics at University of California - Berkeley
California State University - Long Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also made our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 9 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $21,009, but some majors have different tuition rates.
San Diego State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s economics degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658.
California State University - Fullerton came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 10 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Fullerton Economics Report
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Santa Cruz are $28,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Economics at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State East Bay are $17,828.
Read more about Economics at California State University - East Bay
San Francisco State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 5 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Francisco State University are $17,944, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #14, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State University are $18,790, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 23 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree economics students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Economics Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree economics students list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #17, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 26 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
USFCA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of San Francisco are $26,710, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California Lutheran University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. California Lutheran University is located in Thousand Oaks, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CLU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California Lutheran University are $20,600.
Claremont Graduate University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s economics students in 2019-2020.
Claremont Graduate University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Claremont Graduate University are $36,380.
With a ranking of #20, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 80 masters’s economics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree economics students list, USC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Stanford University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 11 masters’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Economics Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011.
- Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Economics in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Economics
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Social Sciences
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in California
Archeology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Archeology in California
Demography & Population Studies
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Demography & Population Studies in California
International Relations & National Security
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for International Relations & National Security in California
Sociology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Sociology in California
Other Social Sciences
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Other Social Sciences in California
Anthropology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Anthropology in California
Criminology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminology in California
Geography & Cartography
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography in California
Political Science & Government
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in California
Urban Studies
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Urban Studies in California
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Economics Master's Degree Schools in California
Economics students in the state of California
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Economics in California
Economics students in California
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Economics Schools
Economics students in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $0-$30k) in California
Economics students with family income less than $30k in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $48-$75k) in California
Economics students with family income $48-$75k in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics (Income Over $110k) in California
Economics students with family income exceeding $110k in California
Highest Paid Master's Degree Economics Graduates in California
Economics students in California
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Economics in California
Economics students in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics in California (With Aid)
Economics students getting aid in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $30-$48k) in California
Economics students with family income $30-$48k in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics (Income $75-$110k) in California
Economics students with family income $75-$110k in California
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Economics in California
Economics students in California
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
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
