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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in California (With Aid)

19 Ranked Colleges
490 Degrees Awarded
$18,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Social Sciences is the 51st most popular major in the country with 19,742 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,665 and had an average of $22,423 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 9,920 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,740 and $19,771 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 490 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in general social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general social sciences 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 general social sciences program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Social Sciences Schools

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 Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences in California (With Aid)

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 87%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Stan State

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at UC Irvine

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 Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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 full report on General Social Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino

#4

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #4 spot on the list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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

Read more about General Social Sciences at SDSU

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at California State University - Sacramento

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 84 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUMB, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 CSUMB General Social Sciences Report

California State University - San Marcos ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 21 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

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 General Social Sciences at California State University - San Marcos

#8

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 General Social Sciences at San Jose State

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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 Chico State General Social Sciences Report

#10

Brandman University

Irvine, California

Brandman University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Brandman also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Brandman University is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Brandman

#11

Hope International University

Fullerton, California

Hope International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Fullerton, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Hope not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Hope is $20,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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 full report on General Social Sciences at Hope

#12

National University

La Jolla, California
#17 in overall quality

National University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

National University also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at National University

The University of Arizona Global Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large private for-profit school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UAGC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,510 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UAGC

#14

Whittier College

Whittier, California

Whittier College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Whittier is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 30 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whittier, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Whittier College is $24,570 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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 General Social Sciences Report

#15

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#6 in overall quality

University of the Pacific ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Pacific.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pacific General Social Sciences Report

#16

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#15 in overall quality

University of La Verne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. ULV is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of La Verne is $25,780 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of La Verne

#17

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Southern California

#18

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
#11 in overall quality

Azusa Pacific University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Azusa, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Azusa Pacific has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific University is $26,293 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Azusa Pacific

#19

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#8 in overall quality

Biola University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Biola not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $31,859 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Biola.

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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Biola University

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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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