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2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

17 Ranked Colleges
1,024 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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 International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 13,117 people earned their degree in international relations, making the major the 63rd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,024 international relations graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international relations. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international relations programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank International Relations Schools

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The international relations 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 International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 17 Best Value Colleges for International Relations (Income $0-$30k) 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 International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Stanford International Relations Report

2
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s international relations degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Claremont McKenna, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna College is $5,387 for california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Claremont McKenna International Relations Report

3
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #3 spot on the list. Pomona College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 9 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Pomona also took the #5 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona College is $8,629 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Pomona College International Relations Report

4
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Relations at University of Southern California

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 151 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.

Read more about International Relations at University of California - Davis

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international relations degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 University of California - San Diego International Relations Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 85 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #11 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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%.

Read more about International Relations at University of California - Riverside

8
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oxy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oxy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,452 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Occidental College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about International Relations at Oxy

9
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,705 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at SFSU

10

California State University - Chico ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 16 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,754 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 California State University - Chico International Relations Report

11
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. USD is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USD also made our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $21,951 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of San Diego.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about International Relations at USD

12
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Redlands, California, and it awarded 5 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Redlands has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $20,409 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on International Relations at University of Redlands

13
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #13, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 47 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USFCA is $32,023 for california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Relations at University of San Francisco

14
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Azusa, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified ’s international relations students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california international relations students whose families make $0-$30k list, Azusa Pacific has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,548 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Azusa Pacific.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on International Relations at Azusa Pacific University

15
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

With a ranking of #15, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in La Verne, California, and it awarded 5 ’s international relations degrees in 2020-2021.

ULV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of La Verne is $28,256 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 International Relations at ULV

16
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best International Relations Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,730 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 International Relations at Loyola Marymount University

17

Saint Mary’s College of California landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Relations Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SMC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Moraga, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SMC also made our “Best International Relations Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary’s College of California is $28,783 for California International Relations students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on International Relations at SMC

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