How much will it cost to earn a Bachelor’s degree?

Bachelor’s degrees from four-year colleges and universities are expensive. They can cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most people require financial assistance from federal or state student aid programs, or from private organizations to pay their tuition. (For information on Paying for College, see PG. 881.)

A NOTE ON PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Both public and private colleges and universities offer Bachelor’s degree programs. Public schools are partially funded by government taxes and usually charge lower tuition (especially for in-state residents). They tend to have a larger student population and larger class sizes. Private schools are generally more expensive, and tend to focus on keeping classes small and exposing students to many different subjects. [2863]A NOTE ABOUT IN-STATE TUITION: Most schools require that you have lived in California for a certain period of time in order to get the discounted “resident” or “in-state” tuition rate. [2864] Some schools will consider time that you spent incarcerated in California towards this requirement. Check with your school’s admissions and financial aid offices to find out if your period of incarceration qualifies you as a California resident under that school’s policy.

  1. 2863

    Public v. Private Colleges, My College Options, www.mycollegeoptions.org/Core/SiteContent/Students/Advice/College-Resource-Center/College-Search---Selection/College-Choices/Public-Vs-Private-Colleges.aspx; Erika Ward, Private v. Public College: Which is Best for Me?, Campus Explorer, http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/C6F3EE61/Private-vs-Public-College-Which-is-Best-For-Me/. ↑

  2. 2864

    Cal. Veh. Code §§ 68000-68084, 68120-68134, 89705-89707.5; Cal. Code Regs. tit. 5, §§ 41900-41916. ↑