2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Economics School for You
In 2020-2021, 10,510 degrees and certificates were awarded to economics students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Economics Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 54 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for economics students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Economics Schools
Our analysis found Santa Rosa Junior College to be the best value school for economics students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRJC are $1,328 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, SRJC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Economics Schools in California list.
Full Economics at Santa Rosa Junior College Report
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Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, East Los Angeles College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Monterey Park, East Los Angeles College is a public college with a very large student population.
East Los Angeles College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,238 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent programs at American River College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in California. American River is a very large public school located in the suburb of Sacramento.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mt. San Jacinto College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California list. Located in the midsize suburb of San Jacinto, MSJC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSJC are $1,406 per year.
Full Economics at Mt. San Jacinto College Report
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Butte College is a great value for economics students. Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Butte College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,368 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Antelope Valley College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in California list. Antelope Valley College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Lancaster.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Antelope Valley College are $1,124 per year.
Full Economics at Antelope Valley College Report
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With a ranking of #7, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students. CSUCI is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Camarillo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSUCI are $6,817 per year. The average amount in student loans that economics majors at CSUCI take out is $15,000.
Full Economics at California State University - Channel Islands Report
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California State University - Fresno did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for economics students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fresno State are $6,653 per year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from Fresno State carry an average student debtload of $13,198.
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California State University - East Bay landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. Located in the large suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public college with a large student population.
Cal State East Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $6,995 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California ranking. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
UC Berkeley undergraduate students pay an average of $14,226 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, economics graduates from UC Berkeley take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $378.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UC Berkeley is ranked #3 for overall quality for economics in California.
Request InformationBest Value Economics Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Economics Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 713 |
| Oregon | 596 |
| Nevada | 147 |
| Hawaii | 92 |
| Alaska | 17 |
More Economics Rankings in California
Majors Related to Economics
One of 12 majors within the area of study, economics has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 49,282 |
| Sociology | 38,475 |
| General Social Sciences | 18,997 |
| International Relations & National Security | 14,306 |
| Anthropology | 11,415 |
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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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