Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value Economics Schools in California

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

54 Colleges
$7,052 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$48,538 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for economics majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Economics Schools

#1

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA
$1,328 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Santa Rosa Junior College the best value school in California for economics students. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SRJC are $1,328 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SRJC also is in the top 10% of our Best Economics Schools in California ranking.

Read full report on Economics at Santa Rosa Junior College

#2

East Los Angeles College

Monterey Park, CA
$1,238 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Los Angeles College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Monterey Park, East Los Angeles College is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at East Los Angeles College are $1,238 per year.

Read More…

#3

American River College

Sacramento, CA

Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, American River College landed the # 3 spot on the list. American River is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Sacramento.

Read More…

#4

Mt. San Jacinto College

San Jacinto, CA
$1,406 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Jacinto College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of San Jacinto, MSJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MSJC are $1,406 a year.

Read full report on Economics at Mt. San Jacinto College

#5

Butte College

Oroville, CA
$1,368 Average Tuition & Fees

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 college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Butte College are $1,368 per year.

Read More…

#6

Antelope Valley College

Lancaster, CA
$1,124 Average Tuition & Fees

Antelope Valley College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. Antelope Valley College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Lancaster.

Antelope Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,124 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Economics at Antelope Valley College

$6,817 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in California ranking. CSUCI is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Camarillo.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUCI are $6,817 a year. The average amount in student loans that economics majors at CSUCI take out is $15,000.

Read More…

$6,653 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. Located in the large city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Fresno State are $6,653 a year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from Fresno State carry an average student debtload of $13,198.

Full Economics at California State University - Fresno Report

$6,995 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, California State University - East Bay did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students. Located in the large suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public school 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.

Read full report on Economics at California State University - East Bay

$14,226 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UC Berkeley are $14,226 a 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.

UC Berkeley also made our Best Economics Schools in California list, coming in at #3.

Full Economics at University of California - Berkeley Report

Best 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

One of 12 majors within the area of study, economics has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.