2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California
59
Ranked Colleges
15,499
Degrees Awarded
$12,100
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” ranking.
Sociology is the 20th most popular major in the country with 38,394 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 15,499 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in California” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sociology programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Sociology Schools in California” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Sociology Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools in California.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in California. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 766 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for california sociology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Sociology Report
Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools in California 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.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,032 for California Sociology students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 more about Sociology at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in California. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 308 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,054 for california sociology students per year to attend CSULB.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Sociology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - East Bay. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in California. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 247 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students 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 $13,298 for california sociology students.
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%.
Read full report on Sociology at California State University - East Bay
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for california sociology students per year to attend San Jose State.
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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at San Jose State
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 499 students in 2020-2021.
CSUN also took the #20 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for California Sociology students.
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%.
Full CSUN Sociology Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 726 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for california sociology students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Sociology at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 306 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for california sociology students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Sociology at UC Irvine
University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 275 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Sociology 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%. 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 UC Davis
University of California - San Diego came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 161 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for California Sociology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at UCSD
With a ranking of #11, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 276 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,218 for california sociology students.
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%.
Read more about Sociology at California State University - San Marcos
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 147 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $6,230 for California Sociology students.
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%.
Read more about Sociology at Fresno State
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,677 for california sociology students per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
California State University - Fullerton came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 395 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for California Sociology students.
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 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%.
Read more about Sociology at California State University - Fullerton
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California 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 Stan State is $6,566 for california sociology students.
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%.
Read more about Sociology at Stan State
California State University - Chico ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 186 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,218 for california sociology students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Chico State
With a ranking of #17, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 141 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $13,845 for california sociology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Diego State University Sociology Report
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 259 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,107 for California Sociology 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%.
Full CSUSB Sociology Report
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 115 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SRJC is $6,585 for California Sociology students.
Read more about Sociology at SRJC
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 402 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also made our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for california sociology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Cal State LA
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 292 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for California Sociology students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 301 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,026 for California Sociology students.
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%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Sociology Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in California list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 403 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Sociology Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,822 for California Sociology students per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Riverside
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 273 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california sociology students list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california sociology students.
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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in California ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 187 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $14,928 for California Sociology students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Sociology at CSUCI
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