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

17 Ranked Colleges
1,465 Degrees Awarded
$12,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 57,618 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,459 and had an average of $30,084 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,949 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,770 and $31,817 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,465 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k) in California

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 224 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Social Work at UC Berkeley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 119 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree social work 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 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Fresno State

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 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 California State University - Long Beach Social Work Report

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #5 spot on the list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree social work 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.

Read more about Social Work at CSUSB

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 106 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read more about Social Work at SDSU

California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 244 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Social Work Report

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SFSU Social Work Report

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full San Jose State University Social Work Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

California State University - Chico ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Chico

#12

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #12, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,775 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Social Work at Humboldt State University

#13

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California

With a ranking of #13, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 79 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific is $14,346 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at Fresno Pacific

#14

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

La Sierra University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

La Sierra also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for La Sierra is $21,494 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at La Sierra

#15

Whittier College

Whittier, California

Whittier College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Whittier also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Whittier College is $20,721 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Whittier College

#16

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific is $23,272 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive 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 Work at Azusa Pacific University

#17

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#17 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

MSMU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $27,376 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Work at Mount Saint Mary’s University

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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