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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

18 Ranked Colleges
1,465 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 56,762 social work students received their degree, making the major the 8th most popular in the country.

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” ranking looked at 18 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in California

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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.

Read full report on Social Work at Fresno State

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s social work 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. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend CSULB.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 more about Social Work at CSULB

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Bernardino. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. 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 CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full CSUSB Social Work Report

#4

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Full San Francisco State University Social Work Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State LA 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Social Work Report

#6

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#3 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full San Jose State University Social Work Report

#7

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#2 in overall quality

Brandman University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Brandman University is located in Irvine, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Brandman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Brandman is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Brandman University

#10 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico State 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 took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

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 Chico State

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 244 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Social Work Report

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#1 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 90 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 106 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Social Work Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - East Bay

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#18 in overall quality

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #13. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social work students list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

#14

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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 made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $16,356 for california bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Fresno Pacific University.

Read more about Social Work at Fresno Pacific University

#15

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#12 in overall quality

La Sierra University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Riverside, 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 17 students in 2019-2020.

La Sierra also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,046 for california bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend La Sierra University.

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 full report on Social Work at La Sierra University

#16

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
#14 in overall quality

Azusa Pacific University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Azusa, California. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific is $26,293 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

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 came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

MSMU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Saint Mary’s University is $29,214 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

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%. 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 full report on Social Work at Mount Saint Mary’s University

#18

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 ranking, coming in at #18. Whittier, 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 9 students in 2019-2020.

Whittier also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Whittier is $24,570 for california bachelor’s degree social work students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Whittier College Social Work Report

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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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