2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 205,726 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 50,479 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,934 and $19,309 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 26,436 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 $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 62 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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 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 $0-$30k”.
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Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 236 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Out of the 62 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Claremont McKenna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $8,566 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Sciences at Claremont McKenna College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 107 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pomona, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pomona College is $6,945 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 1,906 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 628 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,699 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Irvine landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 1,578 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 296 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Social Sciences Report
California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 700 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California State University - Fresno Social Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 633 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Pitzer College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
Pitzer did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer is $15,922 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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.
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 1,984 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 296 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
University of California - Riverside landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,064 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 697 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,387 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 1,086 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 953 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - Northridge
San Diego State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 697 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 450 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 168 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 730 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.
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%.
California State University - East Bay came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 339 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
California State University - San Marcos ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 718 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - San Marcos
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 228 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 94%.
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
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