2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 160 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,544 and $133,402 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and 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. 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 Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. 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 for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 3 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in California (With Aid)

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

#3 in overall quality

$28,131 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$76,460 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree social work students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UCLA Social Work Report

#2

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

#2 in overall quality

$29,347 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california doctor’s degree social work students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at UC Berkeley

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

#1 in overall quality

$48,715 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 152 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715.

Read more about Social Work at USC

• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (With Aid)

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.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Army Medicine.

Featured Social Work Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >