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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in California

17 Ranked Colleges
1,465 Degrees Awarded
$32,300 Avg Salary
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Social Work is the 12th most popular major in the country with 57,618 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k 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 Cal State LA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Social Work Report

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 119 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Social Work Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 52 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - San Bernardino

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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%. 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 Work at CSULB

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 244 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at Sac State

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 106 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Social Work at San Diego State University

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SFSU Social Work Report

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at San Jose State University

California State University - Chico came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Chico State Social Work Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Social Work Report

#12

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Fresno, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 79 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students 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 $17,623 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Fresno Pacific Social Work Report

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. 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 $15,723 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Riverside, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

La Sierra not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $24,252 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend La Sierra University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Work at La Sierra University

#15

Whittier College

Whittier, California

Whittier College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Whittier College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Whittier not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,878 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Whittier College.

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%.

Full Whittier Social Work Report

#16

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 48 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

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. 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 Azusa Pacific

#17

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#17 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, MSMU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $26,880 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Social Work at MSMU

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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