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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k) in California

57 Ranked Colleges
5,328 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science is the 14th most popular major in the country with 46,740 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 7,602 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,328 political science graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 57 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science 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 political science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Political Science Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at Stanford University

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #2 spot on the list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

Pomona also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Pomona College is $11,811 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Pomona College Political Science Report

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 692 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 96%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Political Science Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 482 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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%. 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 full report on Political Science at UC Berkeley

#5

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna is $19,009 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Claremont McKenna College Political Science Report

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 95 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Los Angeles

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 297 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,343 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UCSB

California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Political Science Report

#14 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Irvine Political Science Report

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 224 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at UC Davis

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science at UCSD

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 213 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $12,290 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCR.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at UCR

California State University - Fresno landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Fresno State Political Science Report

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at CSUDH

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Political Science Report

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 185 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low 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%.

Full California State University - Northridge Political Science Report

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,924 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at CSUSB

#19

Pitzer College

Claremont, California
#9 in overall quality

Pitzer College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pitzer College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitzer also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,939 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Pitzer.

The 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 low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Political Science at Pitzer

California State University - Sacramento ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Political Science at California State University - Sacramento

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 29 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full CSUB Political Science Report

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#15 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy also took the #15 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oxy is $19,364 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science at Oxy

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#25 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 109 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read more about Political Science at San Diego State University

#24

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#22 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 163 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Political Science at UC Santa Cruz

#18 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 70 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 students.

Read full report on Political Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

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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.

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