2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 19,742 people earned their degree in general social sciences, making the major the 51st most popular in the United States. 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” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general social sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in California
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
CSUMB also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 - Monterey Bay
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandman University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
Brandman also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Brandman is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Stanislaus 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 $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend San Jose State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 full report on General Social Sciences at San Jose State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #6. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 55 students 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 San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at San Diego State University
California State University - San Marcos came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSM also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
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%.
California State University - Chico came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
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%.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 31 students 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. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Sac State.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSB also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about General Social Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino
National University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, National University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Hope International University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students 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. The yearly cost to attend Hope International University is $20,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Hope International University General Social Sciences Report
Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #14. Azusa Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Azusa, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s 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 is $26,293 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
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%. 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.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Azusa Pacific University
Biola University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Biola is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Mirada, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Biola is $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of La Verne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. 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. It costs about $25,780 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend ULV.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Whittier College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Whittier is located in Whittier, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Whittier did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Whittier is $24,570 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
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%.
University of the Pacific ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Pacific has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend University of Southern California.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of Southern California General Social Sciences Report
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Manfred Werner (Tsui).
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