---

2026 Best Value Other Social Work Schools in California

[Other Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/social-work-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other social work education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other social work schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Other Social Work Schools in California

2026 Best Value Other Social Work Schools in California

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other social work degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Other Social Work Schools

1

California State University San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA

$8,088 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,018 Avg Student Debt

$59,977 Median Earnings (10yr)

California State University San Bernardino tops our 2026 list of the best value other social work schools in California. Located in the city of San Bernardino, California State University San Bernardino is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,088, with out-of-state students paying around $20,688. Students borrow a median of $13,018 to complete the other social work program here. Other Social Work graduates of California State University San Bernardino earn a median of $53,312 early in their careers. Set against $13,018 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California State University San Bernardino admits about 94% of applicants.

2

University Of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

$71,647 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,625 Avg Student Debt

$92,498 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in other social work will find it at University Of Southern California, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,647. Typical student debt for other social work graduates is $15,625. Early-career other social work graduates make about $78,196. That is a strong return on a $15,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 10%.

View All Other Social Work Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.