2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in California
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 56,762 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social work is the 8th most popular major in the United States.
Across California, there were 4,945 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 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 $0-$30k” ranking looked at 18 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.
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.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 224 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read more about Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles
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 Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 119 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
CSUSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 244 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #8, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.
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 $0-$30k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s 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 $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
Full California State University - East Bay Social Work Report
Humboldt State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Humboldt State University also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University
Fresno Pacific University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $11,410 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
La Sierra University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Sierra is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at La Sierra, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend La Sierra University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Whittier College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Whittier has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Whittier College is $18,718 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, Brandman University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Irvine, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 123 students in 2019-2020.
Brandman also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman University is $19,981 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Azusa Pacific University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Azusa, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Azusa Pacific also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific is $21,179 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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.
Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSMU is $27,107 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The impressive 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University
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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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