2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California
58
Ranked Colleges
51,680
Degrees Awarded
$7,100
Avg Net Price*
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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 205,984 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. 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 California, there were 51,680 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,887 and $17,995 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value 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 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 357 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.
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 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,093 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 96%.
Full UC Berkeley Social Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 179 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Claremont McKenna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $5,387 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Claremont McKenna
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,813 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
UCLA also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 - Los Angeles
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #5 spot on the list. Pomona is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 95 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,629 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pomona.
The undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Pomona College
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 591 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Cal State LA
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California 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.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,859 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - Fresno Social Sciences Report
University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 1,848 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Irvine Social Sciences Report
University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 1,404 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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.
Full University of California - San Diego Social Sciences Report
University of California - Davis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 1,517 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at UC Davis
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 2,053 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for california 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 91%. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at UCSB
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 693 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,590 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
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 Cal State Fullerton Social Sciences Report
Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 668 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SRJC also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $5,728 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.
Read full report on Social Sciences at SRJC
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,301 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #15, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 976 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at USC
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 764 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSULB Social Sciences Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 378 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for california 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 more about Social Sciences at CSUDH
California State University - Northridge landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 944 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,266 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at CSUN
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 291 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for california 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 low undergrad 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 - Stanislaus Social Sciences Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 786 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california 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%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Social Sciences Report
San Diego State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 845 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for california 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Diego State University Social Sciences Report
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB 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 estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,985 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Sciences at CSUSB
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 864 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for california 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%. 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 University of California - Santa Cruz Social Sciences Report
California State University - East Bay ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 373 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,975 for california social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State East Bay Social Sciences Report
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 198 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,238 for California Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Social Sciences Report
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