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2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

58 Ranked Colleges
5,328 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in political science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science in California (With Aid)

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at California State University - Los Angeles

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 86%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Political Science at Stanford University

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 692 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read full report on Political Science at UCLA

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Political Science at Cal State Fullerton

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 307 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Irvine

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Political Science Report

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Fresno State

California State University - Northridge came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 185 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Political Science at CSUN

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 172 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Political Science Report

#11 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 120 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 University of California - San Diego

#11

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 482 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Berkeley

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 213 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 - Riverside Political Science Report

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Stanislaus

#14

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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 California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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

#15

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

Claremont McKenna College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $22,161 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Claremont McKenna College Political Science Report

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 297 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Political Science at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Sacramento landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 174 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at California State University - Sacramento

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 224 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 full report on Political Science at University of California - Davis

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read full report on Political Science at CSUB

#20

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#25 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s poly sci degrees to 109 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full SDSU Political Science Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 129 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s poly sci students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid per year to attend SFSU.

Full San Francisco State University Political Science Report

California State University - San Marcos ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s poly sci degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Political Science Report

#23

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Political Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science at San Jose State University

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree poly sci students with aid.

Full California State University - East Bay Political Science Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science at Cal Poly Pomona

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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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