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2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

59 Ranked Colleges
5,712 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, we looked at 59 colleges that offer 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.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

The political science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 for a Bachelor’s in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 692 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UCLA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 172 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at CSULB

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #3 spot on the list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Political Science & Government Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 185 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend CSUN.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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

#5

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 297 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at UCSB

With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 390 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree political science students list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank 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 per year to attend UCSD.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Political Science & Government Report

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 482 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at UC Berkeley

California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#9

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

Full San Francisco State University Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Chico came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Chico State

California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 307 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree political science students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Irvine Political Science & Government Report

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 86%.

Full San Jose State University Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Sac State

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 61 diplomas 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Political Science & Government Report

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 267 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

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 per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at University of California - Davis

With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 68 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students.

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%.

Full CSUSM Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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 Stan State

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 109 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Political Science & Government Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 San Diego State University

California State University - East Bay landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Cal State East Bay

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 89 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree political science students.

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

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 95 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend Cal State LA.

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

Read more about Political Science & Government at Cal State LA

#23

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 247 students in 2019-2020.

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

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 UCR Political Science & Government Report

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Political Science students per year to attend CSUCI.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at CSUCI

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Political Science Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree political science students per year to attend CSUDH.

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

Full CSUDH Political Science & Government Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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