2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You
Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 52,773 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 2nd out of all the majors we track in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 47 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for liberal arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Sonoma State University to be the best value school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Located in the large suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SSU are $7,988 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at SSU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,393. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $246.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - East Bay. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Hayward.
Cal State East Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $6,995 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Cal State East Bay take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $19,582.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a very large student population.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate students pay an average of $10,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $17,363. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $312.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
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Out of the 47 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from CSULB take out $18,876 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at California State University - Channel Islands helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value liberal arts general studies schools in California. Located in the suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUCI are $6,817 a year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at CSUCI accumulate an average of around $19,824 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $211, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Brandman University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Brandman undergraduate students pay an average of $12,480 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Brandman carry an average student debtload of $29,737.
Brandman also claimed a spot on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Brandman University Report
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National University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National University are $13,320 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $27,975.
National University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
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California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Seaside.
CSUMB undergraduate students pay an average of $7,218 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at CSUMB take out an average of $15,580 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $119.
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With a ranking of #9, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. SFSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SFSU are $7,304 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at SFSU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,402. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $158.
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California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. CSUN is a very large public school located in the city of Northridge.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUN are $7,043 per year. Liberal Arts majors at CSUN take out an average of $17,982 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Request InformationBest Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 17,408 |
| Oregon | 8,599 |
| Nevada | 1,679 |
| Hawaii | 2,024 |
| Alaska | 417 |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings in California
Liberal Arts General Studies Related Majors for Liberal Arts
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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