2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
58
Ranked Colleges
8,360
Degrees Awarded
$11,900
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree 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.
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 political science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science in California (With Aid)
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 86 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $12,894 for california poly sci students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 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.
Read more about Political Science at Stanford
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the 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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for california poly sci students with aid.
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 University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,302 for california poly sci students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.
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%.
Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 409 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $15,240 for california poly sci students with aid.
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.
Read full report on Political Science at University of California - San Diego
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 361 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for California Poly Sci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 537 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for California 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 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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Political Science Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for california poly sci students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 54 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for california poly sci students with aid.
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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 200 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,054 for california poly sci students with aid per year to attend CSULB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 89%.
Read more about Political Science at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 256 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for California Poly Sci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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
California State University - Fullerton ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California Poly Sci students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 214 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for california poly sci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN Political Science Report
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 328 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $16,252 for california poly sci students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 more about Political Science at University of California - Santa Barbara
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 167 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $11,178 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Political Science Report
Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 28 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
Pomona also took the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,949 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Pomona.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Political Science Report
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Santa Rosa Junior College is $6,585 for California Poly Sci students with aid.
Read full report on Political Science at Santa Rosa Junior College
With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s poly sci degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,107 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend CSUSB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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
With a ranking of #18, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Political Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for California Poly Sci students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science at San Diego State University
With a ranking of #19, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s poly sci students in 2020-2021.
Claremont McKenna not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $21,993 for California Poly Sci students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Claremont McKenna College Political Science Report
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 27 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $7,454 for california poly sci students with aid.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Political Science Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,026 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend CSUDH.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science at California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 201 students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,930 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 UC Santa Cruz Political Science Report
With a ranking of #23, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,542 for california poly sci students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full San Jose State University Political Science Report
San Francisco State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 131 ’s poly sci degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Political Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,459 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend SFSU.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Political Science at San Francisco State University
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Poly Sci Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s poly sci degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,566 for California Poly Sci students with aid per year to attend Stan State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Stan State
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