2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
58
Ranked Colleges
8,360
Degrees Awarded
$7,600
Avg Net Price*
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 Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Political Science is the 13th most popular major in the country with 47,549 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 8,360 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
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. 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 Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science (Income $0-$30k) in 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 Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 86 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Stanford University Political Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $5,387 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at Claremont McKenna College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 537 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Political Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 713 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Political Science at UCLA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Pomona College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pomona College is $8,629 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read full report on Political Science at Pomona
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 409 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCSD Political Science Report
University of California - Davis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 279 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california poly sci 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%.
Full UC Davis Political Science Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 361 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $6,540 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Irvine Political Science Report
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Political Science Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 328 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Political Science Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 256 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $6,810 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at UCR
With a ranking of #12, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 121 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,287 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full USC Political Science Report
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,590 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Political Science Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 200 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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 Political Science at CSULB
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science at Fresno State
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 167 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Political Science at Sac State
California State University - Northridge landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 214 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUN Political Science Report
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SRJC is a fairly large school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 28 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $5,728 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Political Science at SRJC
With a ranking of #19, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Political Science at San Diego State University
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 201 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Political Science Report
Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Oxy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 35 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oxy, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Occidental College is $14,452 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Political Science at Occidental College
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 27 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,238 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Political Science at CSUB
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 20 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,122 for California Poly Sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Political Science at California State University - Stanislaus
San Francisco State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 131 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $10,705 for california poly sci students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full San Francisco State University Political Science Report
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