2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in California
58
Ranked Colleges
8,530
Degrees Awarded
$8,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 49,282 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 8,530 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,769 and $19,462 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great political science and government programs and 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 and government program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $30-$48k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,581 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Claremont McKenna College is $8,693 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Claremont McKenna College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 537 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 713 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government 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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,239 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pomona.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pomona College
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cal State LA
University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 469 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 328 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $11,598 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Davis
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 361 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $8,449 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad 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 more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Irvine
Pitzer College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Pitzer is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 14 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitzer did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitzer is $17,181 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Pitzer College Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Fresno came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 54 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,655 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Fresno State
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 282 students in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,193 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 - Riverside Political Science & Government Report
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 328 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,606 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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%. 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 & Government Report
With a ranking of #14, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 28 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $5,800 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Santa Rosa Junior College
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 200 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,573 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 131 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 214 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,103 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Northridge
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 167 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,055 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 150 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,345 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.
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 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Political Science & Government at USC
San Diego State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 162 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,274 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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%.
Full San Diego State University Political Science & Government Report
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 201 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 for California Political Science students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $6,613 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k 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 CSUSB Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 27 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $6,046 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Bakersfield
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,903 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at Stan State
With a ranking of #25, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills 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 $3,329 for california political science students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full CSUDH Political Science & Government Report
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