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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

60 Ranked Colleges
26,436 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 236 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University Social Sciences Report

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.

Pomona also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Pomona is $8,655 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Social Sciences at Pomona College

#3

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #3 spot on the list. Claremont McKenna is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 177 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Claremont McKenna has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,591 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Claremont McKenna.

The 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. 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 full report on Social Sciences at Claremont McKenna

#4 in overall quality

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 $30-$48k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,906 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Berkeley Social Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Los Angeles 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 $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Social Sciences Report

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 2,699 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UCLA

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 296 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 700 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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.

Full Fresno State Social Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 1,578 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 University of California - Irvine

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 633 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 296 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Stan State

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 1,984 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 697 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at CSULB

#14

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#23 in overall quality

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 $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 1,064 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 953 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 more about Social Sciences at CSUN

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 1,387 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UC Davis

#11 in overall quality

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 1,086 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k 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%. 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 UCSD Social Sciences Report

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #18, 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 $30-$48k list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 450 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 California State University - San Bernardino Social Sciences Report

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 $3,880 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full CSUB Social Sciences Report

#20

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 697 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Sciences at SDSU

California State University - Sacramento ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 730 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Social Sciences at Sac State

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#12 in overall quality

Occidental College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 162 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oxy has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,662 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Occidental College.

The 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. 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%.

Full Occidental College Social Sciences Report

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 672 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full USC Social Sciences Report

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 $30-$48k list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 718 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - San Marcos

California State University - East Bay landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 339 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - East Bay

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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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