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2023 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $75-$110k) in California

58 Ranked Colleges
8,530 Degrees Awarded
$16,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent political science and government programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the political science and government 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.

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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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Political Science & Government (Income $75-$110k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 86 ’s political science 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. It costs about $13,623 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford University.

The undergraduate 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. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Stanford University

2
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

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 $75-$110k. Claremont McKenna College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Claremont McKenna also took the #2 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $28,087 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Claremont McKenna Political Science & Government Report

3
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #3 spot on the list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pomona, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,763 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Pomona.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Pomona

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Los Angeles 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 also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $20,697 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Political Science & Government Report

5

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 328 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $18,728 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Davis

6
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

With a ranking of #6, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SRJC is $10,357 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SRJC

7

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Los Angeles

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 537 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,601 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley

9

University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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.

In addition to being on our california political science students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $20,567 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Irvine

10

University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 $75-$110k list, UCSD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $20,906 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - San Diego

11

California State University - Long Beach came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 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 estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $15,101 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Political Science & Government Report

12

California State University - Fullerton came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 131 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $12,977 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Fullerton

13

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 54 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $12,789 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full California State University - Fresno Political Science & Government Report

14

University of California - Riverside ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 282 diplomas to qualified ’s political science 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 yearly cost to attend UCR is $16,887 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Riverside

15

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 167 ’s political science degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $16,925 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Political Science & Government Report

16

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 328 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,581 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UCSB

17

California State University - Northridge ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 214 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,380 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k 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 more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Northridge

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $18,957 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at SDSU

19

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s political science degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $14,338 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 & Government at CSUSB

20
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

With a ranking of #20, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. American River College is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend American River is $9,707 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full American River Political Science & Government Report

21
MSJC crest
Mt. San Jacinto College
San Jacinto, California

Mt. San Jacinto College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Jacinto, California, this fairly large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,197 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Mt. San Jacinto College.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at MSJC

22

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 27 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,441 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Political Science & Government Report

23

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 201 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #14 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $22,380 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Santa Cruz

24

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Political Science Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 20 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $12,642 for california political science students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Stanislaus

25

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 $75-$110k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,085 for California Political Science students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at California State University - Dominguez Hills

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