2023 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in California
58
Ranked Colleges
15,499
Degrees Awarded
$7,400
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
Sociology is the 25th most popular major in the country with 38,475 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $24,587 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 15,499 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,847 and $18,490 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sociology 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 sociology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (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 Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 48 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Sociology at Stanford
Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 374 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for California Sociology 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 766 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,037 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read more about Sociology at UCLA
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 402 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for california sociology 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%.
Full Cal State LA Sociology Report
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 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 275 students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #5 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,006 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Davis Sociology Report
University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 306 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for california sociology 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 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at UC Irvine
California State University - Fullerton ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 395 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for California Sociology 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at California State University - Fullerton
University of California - San Diego ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 161 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 726 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
UCSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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%. 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 Sociology at University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Fresno ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 147 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,859 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, 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%.
Full Fresno State Sociology Report
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 308 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,663 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.
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 Sociology at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 301 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Sociology at CSUDH
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 403 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Riverside Sociology Report
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 167 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for california sociology 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Stan State Sociology Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 499 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for california sociology 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 Sociology at CSUN
California State University - Sacramento ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 292 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,163 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Sociology Report
California State University - East Bay ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 247 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at Cal State East Bay
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 259 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,985 for California Sociology 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 Sociology at California State University - San Bernardino
San Diego State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 141 students in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $7,169 for California Sociology 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 Sociology Report
University of Southern California came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California 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 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Sociology at University of Southern California
Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SRJC is a public institution located in Santa Rosa, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 115 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,728 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.
Read more about Sociology at SRJC
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 273 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - Bakersfield ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 147 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,238 for California Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.
Read full report on Sociology at California State University - Bakersfield
San Jose State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 214 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,158 for california sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at San Jose State University
California State University - San Marcos ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 276 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $9,397 for california sociology 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%.
Full California State University - San Marcos Sociology Report
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