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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

17 Ranked Colleges
1,465 Degrees Awarded
$19,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $75-$110k) in California

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s social work 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 $9,576 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Cal State LA

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 119 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Fresno State.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Fresno

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. 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.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $21,401 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Social Work Report

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $13,611 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 California State University - San Bernardino

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 244 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $15,812 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Sac State Social Work Report

#7

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

San Diego State University 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 $75-$110k ranking. 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.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $18,766 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read more about Social Work at SDSU

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#4 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $21,027 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full San Francisco State University 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 $75-$110k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,805 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at San Jose State

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $19,444 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Chico State.

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%.

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

#11

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#13 in overall quality

Fresno Pacific University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $20,328 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Social Work at Fresno Pacific

#15 in overall quality

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $17,710 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Social Work at Cal State East Bay

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 52 bachelors’s social work 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 $20,170 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Humboldt State University Social Work Report

#14

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#12 in overall quality

La Sierra University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Riverside, California, and 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. The yearly cost to attend La Sierra is $25,582 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at La Sierra University

#15

Whittier College

Whittier, California
#16 in overall quality

Whittier College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. 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.

Whittier not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,056 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Whittier College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Whittier

#16

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
#14 in overall quality

Azusa Pacific University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Azusa Pacific University is located in Azusa, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Azusa Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,968 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at Azusa Pacific

#17

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#17 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.

MSMU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University is $30,470 for california bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read more about Social Work at Mount Saint Mary’s University

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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