2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
General Social Sciences is the 39th most popular major in the country with 19,542 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
Across California, there were 9,920 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 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.
This year’s “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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The general 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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in California
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General 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. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 84 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students list, CSUMB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandman University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Brandman University is located in Irvine, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Brandman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Brandman University is $21,604 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General 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. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Stan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 California State University - Stanislaus
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #4 spot on the list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students list, San Jose State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at San Jose State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 29 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend UC Irvine.
The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine
San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 55 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full San Diego State University General Social Sciences Report
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
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%.
Full California State University - San Marcos General Social Sciences Report
California State University - Chico landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree General 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%.
Full California State University - Chico General Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 31 bachelors’s general 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. It costs about $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend Sac State.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 California State University - Sacramento
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
National University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. La Jolla, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at National University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 National University
Hope International University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This small school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students list, Hope has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hope International University is $20,318 for california bachelor’s degree general 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.
Azusa Pacific University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,293 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend Azusa Pacific.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Biola University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Biola is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students list, Biola has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students per year to attend Biola University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of La Verne came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
ULV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,780 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students per year to attend ULV.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Whittier College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Whittier College is a small school located in Whittier, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students list, Whittier has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Whittier College is $24,570 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Whittier College
University of the Pacific landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Pacific also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of the Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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%.
University of Southern California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General 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 general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences
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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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