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2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

11 Ranked Colleges
239 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,475 people earned their degree in urban studies/affairs, making the major the 341st most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 294 urban studies/affairs graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 239 urban studies/affairs graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in urban studies/affairs. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great urban studies/affairs programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the urban studies/affairs program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Urban Studies/Affairs Schools

The urban affairs 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 Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies/Affairs (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s urban affairs students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Stanford University

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 UC Berkeley Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #5 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at University of California - Irvine

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at University of California - San Diego

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at CSUN

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#9 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s urban affairs students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at San Diego State University

#7

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#7 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at San Francisco State University

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Urban Studies/Affairs at USC

#9

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#11 in overall quality

Biola University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Biola University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,135 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Biola University.

The low 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%.

Full Biola University Urban Studies/Affairs Report

#10

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also took the #6 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $32,367 for california bachelor’s degree urban affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at Loyola Marymount

#11

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#8 in overall quality

University of San Francisco ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Urban Affairs Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s urban affairs degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA also took the #8 spot in our “Best Urban Studies/Affairs Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Francisco is $27,690 for California Bachelor’s Degree Urban Affairs students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Urban Studies/Affairs at University of San Francisco

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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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