2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
25
Ranked Colleges
4,817
Degrees Awarded
$10,500
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 57,401 social work students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country.
Across California, there were 4,817 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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 $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 197 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 96%.
Full UC Berkeley Social Work Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 308 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 184 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,859 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at Fresno State
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for california 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 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at UCLA
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #5 spot on the list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 153 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,985 for California 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%. 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 California State University - San Bernardino Social Work Report
University of Southern California came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full USC Social Work Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 301 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at CSULB
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 $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 201 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for california 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 89%. 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
California State University - Sacramento ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 310 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
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 California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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
California State University - Fullerton landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for california 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 89%. 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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
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 estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,657 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Social Work Report
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Social Work at California State University - East Bay
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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.
CSUB also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $5,238 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.
Full CSUB Social Work Report
San Jose State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 211 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $12,158 for California 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 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 San Jose State Social Work Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 148 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,266 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
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 more about Social Work at CSUN
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 173 students in 2020-2021.
Chico State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $11,754 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full California State University - Chico Social Work Report
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 42 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUMB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,192 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k 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 California State University - Monterey Bay
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. SFSU 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 estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $10,705 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at SFSU
Fresno Pacific University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 210 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,544 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno Pacific.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Fresno Pacific University
Humboldt State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 113 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $11,473 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Humboldt State University Social Work Report
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 $0-$30k list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees 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. It costs about $9,397 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
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 CSUSM
With a ranking of #23, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Azusa Pacific, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific University is $26,548 for California Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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
California Baptist University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California Baptist University is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,769 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Baptist.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at California Baptist University
With a ranking of #25, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSMU is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 18 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, MSMU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $29,531 for california social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University
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