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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in California

17 Ranked Colleges
490 Degrees Awarded
$14,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Social Sciences is the 51st most popular major in the country with 19,742 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,665 and had an average of $22,423 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 9,920 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,740 and $19,771 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 490 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general social sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Social Sciences Schools

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in California

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UC Irvine

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the #2 spot on the list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 63 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Stan State General Social Sciences Report

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 55 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Social Sciences at San Diego State University

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - San Bernardino General Social Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 31 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento General Social Sciences Report

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 84 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUMB, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,567 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUMB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at California State University - Monterey Bay

With a ranking of #7, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at California State University - San Marcos

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Social Sciences at USC

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#4 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at San Jose State

California State University - Chico ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico General Social Sciences Report

#11

Whittier College

Whittier, California

Whittier College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whittier, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Whittier is $20,721 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Whittier

#12

Hope International University

Fullerton, California

Hope International University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Hope not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,998 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hope.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Hope International University

#13

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#6 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stockton, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $23,385 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of the Pacific

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. The University of Arizona Global Campus is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UAGC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,998 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#15

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Biola University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Biola also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $25,855 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola University.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Biola University

#16

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
#11 in overall quality

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Azusa, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific University is $23,272 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Azusa Pacific

#17

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in La Verne, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ULV is $23,427 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of La Verne

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Notes and References

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%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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