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2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $75-$110k) in California

25 Ranked Colleges
4,819 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

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 Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in social work. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social work 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 social work program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $75-$110k) in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 308 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,011 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k 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 Cal State LA Social Work Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 197 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $21,601 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Berkeley Social Work Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 184 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $75-$110k list, Fresno State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,789 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Fresno State

4

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 155 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $14,338 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Social Work Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 301 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSULB has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $15,101 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full CSULB Social Work Report

6

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,697 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about Social Work at UCLA

7

California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 310 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $16,925 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Sacramento

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SDSU 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. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $18,957 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at SDSU

9

California State University - Fullerton came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 107 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,977 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

10

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 86 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH also took the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,085 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at CSUDH

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $12,642 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 3.3% 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 full report on Social Work at California State University - Stanislaus

12

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $13,441 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Bakersfield

13

California State University - East Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,874 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 - East Bay Social Work Report

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 211 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $21,035 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State University.

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.

Full San Jose State Social Work Report

15

California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 148 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $15,380 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Social Work Report

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 173 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $20,708 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Chico State Social Work Report

17
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 1,081 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $32,363 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 University of Southern California

18

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

CSUMB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,412 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUMB.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at CSUMB

19
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 210 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno Pacific also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,857 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno Pacific University.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at Fresno Pacific

20
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 63 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $20,159 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at San Francisco State University

21
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Humboldt State University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $20,326 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Social Work at Humboldt State University

22

California State University - San Marcos landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $18,439 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Social Work at CSUSM

23
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Azusa, California. It awarded 118 ’s social work 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 $30,578 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k 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 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 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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $28,614 for California Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Cal Baptist

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 18 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

MSMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $35,953 for california social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 full report on Social Work at Mount Saint Mary’s University

Notes and References

References

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