College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

86 Ranked Colleges
59,952 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 205,984 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,262 and had an average of $23,306 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 59,952 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,260 and $19,465 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 86 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Social Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 357 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Stanford

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 2,093 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,450 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

3
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont McKenna College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Claremont McKenna College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 179 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Claremont McKenna also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna is $5,387 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Claremont McKenna

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 2,813 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 Social Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 1,326 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Social Sciences Report

6
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Pomona is $8,629 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Pomona College

7

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 591 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,887 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Social Sciences Report

8

California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 658 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,859 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Full California State University - Fresno Social Sciences Report

9

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,848 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine

10

University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 1,404 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - San Diego Social Sciences Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 1,517 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Sciences at UC Davis

12

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,053 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $10,568 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

13

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 693 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Social Sciences Report

14
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 668 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,728 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.

Full Santa Rosa Junior College Social Sciences Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 1,301 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UCR

16
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 976 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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 impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full USC Social Sciences Report

17

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 764 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

18

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 378 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Dominguez Hills

19

California State University - Northridge ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 944 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at CSUN

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 291 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus

21
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 813 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $7,689 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Social Sciences at Wazzu

22

California State University - Sacramento landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 786 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for Far Western US Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Social Sciences at California State University - Sacramento

23
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #23, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 845 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $7,169 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Diego State University Social Sciences Report

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 394 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino

25

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 864 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for far western us region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options