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2023 Best Bachelor's Degree Trade Schools in California
It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Bachelor's Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 46 schools in California to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Located in Stanford, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,699 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $58,416 to cover tuition and fees at Stanford. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $14,541 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Foothill College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. Foothill College is a public institution located in Los Altos Hills, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $1,565 in tuition and fees if they attend Foothill College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,510. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Foothill College accumulate an average of $14,019 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Foothill College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 46 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Pacific landed the # 3 spot on the list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 869 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $53,682 to cover tuition and fees at Pacific. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Pacific accumulate an average of $22,151 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Dominican University of California is a great place for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. DUofC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Rafael, California. It awarded 394 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend DUofC, expect to pay an average of $49,426 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,811 in loans while pursuing their degree.
DUofC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 47% took at least some of their classes online.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in California. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 5,642 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
USC does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $64,726. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from USC accumulate an average of $14,843 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at USC. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 8,969 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend SDSU full time pay an average of $8,174 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $20,054. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,840 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SDSU does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 69% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame de Namur University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. NDNU is located in Belmont, California and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 46 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $25,955 in loans while pursuing their degree.
The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. UAGC is located in San Diego, California and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6,531 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend UAGC, expect to pay an average of $13,160 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $32,903 in student loans.
Since UAGC is primarily an online school, it is an excellent choice for undergraduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
With a ranking of #9, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Fresno, California, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 684 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Fresno Pacific does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $34,188. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,208 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Fresno Pacific, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 41% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #10 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 6,364 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Cal Poly Pomona is $7,439. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $19,319. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $17,594 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cal Poly Pomona. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 98% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Located in Visalia, California, the small private for-profit school awarded 160 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,756 in student loans.
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pacific Union College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Pacific Union College is a very small private not-for-profit school located in Angwin, California that handed out 119 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $33,678 to cover tuition and fees at PUC. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
One thing to take note of is that PUC does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, National University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. National University is located in San Diego, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,758 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from National University accumulate an average of $28,754 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at National University. In fact, around 70% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
California State University - Chico did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school located in Chico, California that handed out 4,117 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $7,972 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Chico State. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $19,852. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,500 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Chico State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 93% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
California State University Maritime Academy came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. California State University Maritime Academy is a very small public school located in Vallejo, California that handed out 214 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,116 in tuition and fees if they attend Cal Maritime full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $18,996. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,657 in student loans.
Cal Maritime does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 25% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Biola University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 844 students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,111 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Biola. During the 2020-2021 year, about 46% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 9,259 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $6,884 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend CSULB. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $18,764. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,381 in loans while pursuing their degree.
CSULB does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2020-2021 year, about 93% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Read full report on California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. CSUCI is located in Camarillo, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,895 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at CSUCI is $6,817. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $18,697. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from CSUCI accumulate an average of $17,928 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CSUCI. In fact, around 85% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 2,553 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,734 in tuition and fees if they attend Stan State full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $19,614. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,229 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Stan State does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
California State University - East Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Hayward, California, the fairly large public school handed out 3,876 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $6,995 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Cal State East Bay. Out-of-state students pay an average of $18,875. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Cal State East Bay accumulate an average of $18,431 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Cal State East Bay. In fact, around 90% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. This large public school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 7,486 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend Sac State full time pay an average of $7,484 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $19,364. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,817 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Sac State does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 96% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Irvine, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 440 students in 2021-2022.
Concordia University, Irvine does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $40,180. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,539 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Concordia University, Irvine does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 45% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Touro University Worldwide ranked #23 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Los Alamitos, California, and it awarded 120 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at TUW is $14,640. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,290 in student loans.
TUW does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
California State University - Fresno landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,191 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Fresno State is $6,663. Out-of-state students pay an average of $18,543. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Fresno State accumulate an average of $17,135 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Fresno State. In fact, around 86% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
San Francisco State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 6,087 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,524 in tuition and fees if they attend SFSU full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,404. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,707 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SFSU does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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