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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Social Sciences in California

203 Ranked Colleges
51,680 Degrees Awarded
$32,900 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California” 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 California, there were 51,680 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,887 and $17,995 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California” ranking, we looked at 203 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in social sciences.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california social sciences students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,813 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 2,093 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 2,053 students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at UCSB

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California. 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.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Social Sciences Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 1,517 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Davis Social Sciences Report

6
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. East Los Angeles College is a large school located in Monterey Park, California that handed out 1,475 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at East Los Angeles College

7

University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,404 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

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

Full University of California - San Diego Social Sciences Report

8

University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. University of California - Riverside 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.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UCR

9
Sierra College crest
Sierra College
Rocklin, California

Sierra College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rocklin, California, and it awarded 1,047 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Sierra College

10
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 976 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Sciences at USC

11

California State University - Northridge landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 944 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Northridge

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 864 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

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.

Full UC Santa Cruz Social Sciences Report

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 845 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at San Diego State University

13
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. Mt. SAC is a public institution located in Walnut, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 845 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Sciences at Mt. San Antonio College

15
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California

College of the Canyons ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Clarita, California, and it awarded 798 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Full College of the Canyons Social Sciences Report

16

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 786 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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

17

California State University - Long Beach landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 764 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Social Sciences Report

18

California State University - San Marcos came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 730 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

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 - San Marcos

19

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 693 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

20
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 668 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Santa Rosa Junior College

21

California State University - Fresno ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 658 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Fresno State

22
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 620 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at American River College

23

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 - Los Angeles Social Sciences Report

24
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Pasadena, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 552 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Pasadena City College

25
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 542 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at SFSU

Rest of the Best 31 in Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major in California

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Palomar College crest
Palomar College
San Marcos, California
28
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San Jose State University
San Jose, California
29
Antelope Valley College crest
Antelope Valley College
Lancaster, California
30
31
De Anza College crest
De Anza College
Cupertino, California

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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