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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

17 Ranked Colleges
1,465 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Social Work is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 56,762 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in California

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#1 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at UC Berkeley

#9 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Full Fresno State Social Work Report

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 52 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 California State University - San Bernardino is $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Social Work at California State University - San Bernardino

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Social Work at CSULB

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 244 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Social Work Report

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 106 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full San Diego State University Social Work Report

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#4 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SFSU Social Work Report

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#3 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

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 University is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#10 in overall quality

California State University - Chico landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Chico State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 - Chico Social Work Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $13,048 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Work at Cal State East Bay

#12

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno Pacific University is a small school located in Fresno, California that handed out 79 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno Pacific has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno Pacific University is $17,623 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Fresno Pacific Social Work Report

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#18 in overall quality

Humboldt State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Humboldt State University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $15,723 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

#14

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, La Sierra University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

La Sierra also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $24,252 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend La Sierra.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at La Sierra University

#15

Whittier College

Whittier, California
#16 in overall quality

Whittier College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Whittier 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whittier, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,878 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Whittier.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Whittier Social Work Report

#16

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
#14 in overall quality

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Azusa, California, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $23,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Social Work at Azusa Pacific University

#17

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#17 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. MSMU is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

MSMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSMU.

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. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at MSMU

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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