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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

25 Ranked Colleges
4,817 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $30-$48k” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 $30-$48k”.

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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k) in California

1

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 197 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 96%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of California - Berkeley

2

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 $30-$48k. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 308 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $2,701 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles

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 $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 184 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,655 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fresno State Social Work Report

4

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 92 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of California - Los Angeles

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Bernardino. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 153 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $6,613 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at CSUSB

6

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 301 students in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Long Beach

7

California State University - Sacramento came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 310 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,055 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Social Work at California State University - Sacramento

8

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and 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 $3,329 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUDH.

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 more about Social Work at California State University - Dominguez Hills

9

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 87 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,903 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Stanislaus

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 201 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $9,274 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at SDSU

11
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #11, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 1,081 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $17,345 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Social Work at USC

12

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 81 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUB also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $6,046 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.

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

13

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 107 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Social Work at Cal State Fullerton

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,025 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - East Bay Social Work Report

15

California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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 CSUN is $7,103 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #16, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 211 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 San Jose State

17

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 $30-$48k 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. It costs about $13,040 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Chico State.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Chico

18

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 42 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUMB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $10,711 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

19
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 63 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,862 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

20

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSM has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,348 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

21
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific is $17,827 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Social Work at Fresno Pacific University

22
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 113 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $12,298 for california social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

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 $30-$48k ranking. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 118 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $27,031 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Work at Azusa Pacific University

24
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #24, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 $22,162 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Social Work at Cal Baptist

25
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

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 $30-$48k list. MSMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $28,838 for California Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University Social Work Report

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