2023 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Trade Schools in California
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 85 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for trade school students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
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Most Popular Trade Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named The University of Arizona Global Campus the most popular school in California for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in San Diego, California, the large private for-profit school awarded 6,531 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at UAGC is $13,160. 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 $32,903 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 65% were women.
UAGC is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at California State University - Long Beach helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in California. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,259 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at CSULB is $6,884. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $18,764. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from CSULB accumulate an average of $16,381 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
CSULB does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 93% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on California State University - Long Beach
You’ll be in good company if you attend California State University - East Bay. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,876 students 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. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,431 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 62% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Cal State East Bay. In 2020-2021 about 90% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Northridge is a great place for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. This large public school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 9,364 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,069 in tuition and fees if they attend CSUN full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $18,949. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,691 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 58% were women.
One thing to take note of is that CSUN does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 99% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Read full report on California State University - Northridge
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means California State University - Dominguez Hills is a great place for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Carson, California, the fairly large public school awarded 3,761 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,060 in tuition and fees if they attend CSUDH full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $18,940. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,788 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 67% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUDH does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 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. Those students who come from outside the state 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. Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at CSUCI. In 2020-2021 about 85% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree trade school programs. California State University - Fresno is a large public school located in Fresno, California that handed out 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. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $17,135 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 64% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Fresno State. In 2020-2021 about 86% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
California State University - Chico landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Chico State is located in Chico, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4,117 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $7,972 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Chico State. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,852. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Chico State accumulate an average of $17,500 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 56% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Chico State. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 93% took at least some of their classes online.
Loma Linda University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. Located in Loma Linda, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 333 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Loma Linda University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $37,332. 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 $20,755 in student loans. Around 81% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Loma Linda University. During the 2020-2021 year, about 48% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 9,717 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $7,007 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Cal State Fullerton. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $18,887. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,465 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Cal State Fullerton. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 82% took at least some of their classes online.
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 3,795 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $7,486 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend CSUSB. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,366. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from CSUSB accumulate an average of $16,838 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at CSUSB, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 82% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
San Jose State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. Located in San Jose, California, the large public school handed out 7,362 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $7,899 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend San Jose State. Out-of-state students pay an average of $19,779. Of those students who received their degree, 52% were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at San Jose State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Pomona, California, the large public school handed out 6,364 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend Cal Poly Pomona full time pay an average of $7,439 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,319. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,594 in student loans. Around 50% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cal Poly Pomona. In 2020-2021 about 98% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
National University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in San Diego, California that handed out 1,758 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,754 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since National University does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #15, Academy of Art University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in San Francisco, California, the medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 679 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $26,728 to cover tuition and fees at Academy of Art University. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $32,830 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
Academy of Art University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #16, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6,087 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at SFSU is $7,524. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,404. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $17,707 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
SFSU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #17, Art Center College of Design did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 498 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Art Center College of Design, expect to pay an average of $49,942 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $37,876 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
Art Center College of Design does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
California Baptist University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,963 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Cal Baptist does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $38,058. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $27,443 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 66% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Cal Baptist, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 56% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
West Coast University - Orange County ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California list. West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit institution located in Anaheim, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,019 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $22,889 to cover tuition and fees at West Coast University - Orange County. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $30,880 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 79% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at West Coast University - Orange County. In fact, around 69% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Sacramento, California, the large public school handed out 7,486 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Sac State is $7,484. If you are from out of state, expect to 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. Around 60% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Sac State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 96% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #21, San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia is a private for-profit institution located in Visalia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 160 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia accumulate an average of $18,756 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 75% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia. In 2020-2021 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Foothill College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Located in Los Altos Hills, California, the fairly large public school handed out 76 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $1,565 in tuition and fees if they attend Foothill College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,510. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,019 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 92% were women.
Foothill College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #23, University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 5,642 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at USC is $64,726. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $14,843 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 53% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at USC. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Stanford University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 1,699 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Stanford, expect to pay an average of $58,416 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Stanford accumulate an average of $14,541 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 49% were women.
San Diego State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8,969 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $8,174 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend SDSU. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $20,054. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,840 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 58% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SDSU does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 69% 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
- 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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