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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

25 Ranked Colleges
4,817 Degrees Awarded
$14,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in California (With Aid)

1

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 in California For Those Getting Aid. 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 with aid 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 $3,302 for california social work students with aid.

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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Social Work Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 184 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $6,230 for california social work students with aid.

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%. 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 California State University - Fresno Social Work Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 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 $8,107 for california social work students with aid per year to attend CSUSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full CSUSB Social Work Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 197 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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 University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California Social Work students with aid.

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 UC Berkeley

5

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 in California For Those Getting Aid. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for california social work students with aid.

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 more about Social Work at California State University - Long Beach

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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 made our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for California Social Work students with aid.

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 more about Social Work at California State University - Sacramento

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 92 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for california social work students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Social Work Report

8

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 86 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,026 for California Social Work students with aid per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 201 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for california social work students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at San Diego State University

10

California State University - East Bay ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 77 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,298 for california social work students with aid 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 more about Social Work at Cal State East Bay

11

California State University - Fullerton ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 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. It costs about $8,003 for california social work students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Fullerton

12

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 87 degrees to qualified ’s social work students 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 Stan State is $6,566 for California Social Work students with aid.

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 full report on Social Work at Stan State

13

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $7,454 for California Social Work students with aid.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Social Work Report

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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.

CSUN also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for California Social Work students with aid.

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 more about Social Work at California State University - Northridge

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for California Social Work students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Social Work at San Jose State University

16

California State University - Chico ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,218 for california social work students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at Chico State

17

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 42 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $13,597 for california social work students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at CSUMB

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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 $14,459 for california social work students with aid.

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 San Francisco State University

19
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for California Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,218 for California Social Work students with aid.

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 CSUSM

21
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Fresno, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 210 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california social work students with aid list, Fresno Pacific has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,029 for California Social Work students with aid per year to attend Fresno Pacific University.

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

22
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #22, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $26,719 for California Social Work students with aid.

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%.

Full California Baptist University Social Work Report

23
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 $32,569 for california social work students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full USC Social Work Report

24
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Azusa, California. It awarded 118 ’s social work 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 is $30,744 for California Social Work students with aid.

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.

Full Azusa Pacific University Social Work Report

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 Getting Aid list. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 18 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

MSMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Work Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $30,938 for California Social Work students with aid.

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. 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 more about Social Work at MSMU

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References

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