2025 Best General Social Sciences Schools in California
27
Colleges in California
8,449
Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,783
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
general social sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #54 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 27 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Social Sciences Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 8,449 degrees in general social sciences to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great General Social Sciences School
Your choice of general social sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general social sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
General Social Sciences Rankings by Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General Social Sciences Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for General Social Sciences in California
The schools below may not offer all types of social sciences degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top California Schools in Social Sciences
It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in general social sciences. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 17 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program make an average of $33,789 for their early career.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general social sciences. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Sociology
Program Name
Learn to analyze social factors and become an advocate for individual and community health with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in Sociology from Southern New Hampshire University
University of California - Irvine is a good option for students interested in a degree in general social sciences. UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were about 20 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. After graduating, social sciences degree recipients usually earn about $34,871 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of California - Irvine
Any student pursuing a degree in general social sciences needs to look into California State University - Chico. Located in the midsize city of Chico, Chico State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #481 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Chico State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 64 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Chico State in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, social sciences degree recipients usually make an average of $36,382 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from California State University - Chico
Located in the small city of Merced, Merced Community College District is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #261 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Merced Community College District is a great college overall.
There were about 227 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Merced Community College District in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program report average early career income of $34,168.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from Merced College
Located in the midsize city of Fremont, Ohlone College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #566 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohlone College is a great college overall.
There were about 551 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Ohlone College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients usually make about $22,545 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from Ohlone College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
18th
Most Popular In CA
269
Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
Yuba College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Marysville. This college ranks 90th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 269 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Yuba College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from Yuba College
Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #271 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cal State Fullerton is a great university overall.More information about a degree in general social sciences from California State University - Fullerton
Located in the midsize city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 82nd out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 24 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at CSUSB in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, social sciences degree recipients generally earn about $18,893 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from California State University - San Bernardino
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
411
Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
American River is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Sacramento. This college ranks 116th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 411 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at American River in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general social sciences from American River College
