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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

25 Ranked Colleges
4,819 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Social Work is the 13th most popular major in the country with 58,326 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $37,651 and had an average of $26,679 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,819 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,229 and $20,404 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 25 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 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 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Social Work Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,700 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

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 California State University - Los Angeles Social Work Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 184 students in 2020-2021.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $8,030 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 full report on Social Work at Fresno State

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Bernardino. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 155 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $9,854 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Social Work at California State University - San Bernardino

5

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 92 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Social Work at University of California - Los Angeles

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 301 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $11,189 for california 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 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 Social Work Report

7

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 310 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,602 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 - Sacramento Social Work Report

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #8, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,081 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $22,826 for California 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 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Southern California

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 201 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 San Diego State University

10

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 86 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUDH, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,333 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Social Work at CSUDH

11

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 87 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $7,976 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Social Work Report

12

California State University - Fullerton landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 107 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $9,017 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Social Work Report

13

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.

CSUB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,102 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.

Read more about Social Work at CSUB

14

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Cal State East Bay

15

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 148 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Northridge

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 211 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,338 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at San Jose State University

17

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 173 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,738 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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 full report on Social Work at Chico State

18

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

CSUMB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $14,319 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full CSUMB Social Work Report

19
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 63 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,065 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Social Work Report

20
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 210 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno Pacific, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno Pacific University is $18,293 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno Pacific Social Work Report

21
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #21, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 113 students in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $16,716 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

22

With a ranking of #22, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 58 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also took the #25 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $14,309 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - San Marcos

23
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

With a ranking of #23, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Azusa, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 118 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $28,538 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

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%. The undergraduate 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 more about Social Work at Azusa Pacific University

24
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 108 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $25,553 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at California Baptist University

25
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 18 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $33,649 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSMU.

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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Social Work at MSMU

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