California State University, Bakersfield is one of the nation's most affordable colleges, according to University HQ.

CSUB ranked No. 20 in its list of the Top 50 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities, part of its 2025 college rankings. That marked a significant rise from last year, when the university was ranked No. 44.

Several degree programs were also ranked as being among the best or most affordable in the country. University HQ ranked CSUB's online master's program in kinesiology No. 3 in its list of the Top 25 Best Online Master's in Kinesiology Programs. The organization also ranked CSUB's economics and sociology programs among the Top 25 most affordable programs in their respective categories.

Other CSUB programs also received strong rankings in their categories, including criminal justice, counseling, communications and public administration.

Institutions were rated based on several categories, including graduation and retention rates, tuition cost and enrollment. Data was collected from sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, College Navigator and Payscale.

University HQ is an education organization that provides college and career information to guide prospective students. The goal of its rankings is to help students determine which institution works best for them and will provide a good return on their investment.

CSUB has received top rankings from other outlets over the past academic year, including:

• No. 10 in CollegeNet's 2024 Social Mobility Index.
• No. 16 in Top Public Schools in the West by the U.S. News and World Report.
• No. 14 in Best Bang for the Buck: West by Washington Monthly.
• No. 20 nationwide in Education Reform Now's 2023 Social Mobility Elevator rankings.

Visit University HQ's website to view the full affordability rankings.