College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

25 Ranked Colleges
4,817 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Work Schools 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. 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 $48-$75k” ranking.

With 57,401 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, social work is the 9th most popular major in the United States.

Across California, there were 4,817 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Social Work Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 $48-$75k”.

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. 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,423 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Berkeley Social Work Report

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 $48-$75k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 308 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Social Work Report

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 $48-$75k 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.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,030 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Fresno State

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Bernardino. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 153 students 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 $9,854 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at CSUSB

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,644 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of California - Los Angeles

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 301 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,189 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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

Read full report on Social Work at CSULB

7

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 310 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,602 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Sac State

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,081 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $22,826 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at USC

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 201 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,698 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 San Diego State University

10

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. CSUDH 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,333 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUDH Social Work Report

11

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stan State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $7,976 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full California State University - Stanislaus Social Work Report

12

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 California State University - Fullerton

13

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Bakersfield 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 took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,102 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

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

14

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. 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 also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,615 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

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 Cal State East Bay

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 148 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,780 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full CSUN Social Work Report

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

San Jose State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 211 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $17,338 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on 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 $48-$75k list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 173 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,738 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full California State University - Chico Social Work Report

18

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 42 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUMB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,319 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUMB Social Work Report

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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified ’s social work students 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 San Francisco State University is $16,065 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Social Work at San Francisco State University

20
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

With a ranking of #20, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 210 students in 2020-2021.

Fresno Pacific also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $18,293 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Fresno Pacific Social Work Report

21
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $16,716 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

22

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

CSUSM also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $14,309 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Social Work Report

23
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Azusa, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 118 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific also made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $28,538 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

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 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 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 $48-$75k list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 108 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $25,553 for california social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 18 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

MSMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $33,649 for California Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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.

Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Social Work Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options