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2024 Best Sociology Schools in California

58 Colleges in California
15,499 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$32,847 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in sociology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #25 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 58 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Sociology Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 15,499 degrees in sociology to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Sociology School

Best Sociology Schools in California Your choice of sociology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Sociology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Sociology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Sociology
Bachelor's Degrees in Sociology
Master's Degrees in Sociology
Doctor's Degrees in Sociology

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Sociology Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Sociology in California

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the sociology degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top California Schools in Sociology

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86th Most Popular In CA
48 Sociology Degrees Awarded

It's hard to beat Stanford University if you wish to pursue a degree in sociology. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 48 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
374 Sociology Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Berkeley is a good option for students pursuing a degree in sociology. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 374 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley get an earnings boost of around $29,706 over the typical income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
766 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$32,675 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in sociology. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 766 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, sociology degree recipients generally make around $32,675 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Los Angeles

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$37,102 Median Starting Salary

University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in sociology. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 63 sociology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Those sociology students who get their degree from University of Southern California earn $4,255 more than the typical sociology student.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Southern California

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
275 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$31,674 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were roughly 275 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career earnings of $31,674.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Davis

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
306 Sociology Degrees Awarded
15.4% Growth in Graduates

UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 306 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program state that they receive average early career wages of $29,085.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Irvine

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
726 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$28,687 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 726 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career wages of $28,687.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Santa Barbara

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
161 Sociology Degrees Awarded
20.5% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were roughly 161 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, sociology degree recipients typically make around $29,964 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - San Diego

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
214 Sociology Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

San Jose State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Jose. This university ranks 23rd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 214 sociology students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from San Jose State University get an earnings boost of around $8,776 over the typical income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from San Jose State University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Sociology Degrees Awarded
6.2% Growth in Graduates

UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #102 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.

There were roughly 273 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the sociology program make about $27,765 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Santa Cruz

Best Sociology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Sociology Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 650
Oregon 266 341
Nevada 192 120
Hawaii 164 96
Alaska 119 5

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Sociology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Sociology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 15,499

View All Sociology Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Sociology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 10,520
General Social Sciences 9,318
Political Science & Government 8,530
Anthropology 2,822
International Relations & National Security 1,387
Geography & Cartography 1,251
Other Social Sciences 451
Urban Studies 361
Archeology 48
Demography & Population Studies 34

View All Sociology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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