2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in California (With Aid)
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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 48,597 people earned their degree in political science and government, making the major the 21st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,977 and had an average of $22,822 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 7,986 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,047 and $19,395 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,712 political science and government graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in political science and government. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality political science and government programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the political science and government program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in California (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
The low 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cal State LA
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 Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Stanford University Political Science & Government Report
Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 692 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend UCLA.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 126 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - Fullerton
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 307 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low 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%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
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%.
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 67 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 more about Political Science & Government at Fresno State
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 185 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science 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%.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 172 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend CSULB.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 390 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 & Government at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Berkeley ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 482 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 247 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
UCR also took the #20 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science 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 Stan State is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 students.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 61 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #15, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
Claremont McKenna also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $22,161 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Claremont McKenna College Political Science & Government Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 297 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Political Science & Government Report
California State University - Sacramento landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
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%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Political Science & Government Report
With a ranking of #18, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 267 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend University of California - Davis.
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%.
California State University - Bakersfield ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid per year to attend CSUB.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Political Science & Government Report
San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 109 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
San Francisco State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 129 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students with aid.
California State University - San Marcos ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - San Marcos
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 98 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science 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%.
With a ranking of #24, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
Read more about Political Science & Government at California State University - East Bay
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 89 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree political science students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia.
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