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2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

19 Ranked Colleges
490 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

General Social Sciences is the 39th most popular major in the country with 19,542 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 9,920 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Social Sciences Schools

The general social sciences 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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UC Irvine

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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

Read full report on General Social Sciences at SDSU

#16 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #4 spot on the list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

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

Full CSUSB General Social Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 84 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,688 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.

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 General Social Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSM, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos General Social Sciences Report

#8

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#4 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at San Jose State

#9

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USC 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Southern California General Social Sciences Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 43 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 General Social Sciences at Chico State

#11

Hope International University

Fullerton, California
#18 in overall quality

Hope International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Hope International University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Hope also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $15,847 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hope.

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

Full Hope International University General Social Sciences Report

#12

Whittier College

Whittier, California
#7 in overall quality

Whittier College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Whittier, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Whittier also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Whittier is $18,718 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about General Social Sciences at Whittier

#13

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#6 in overall quality

University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $21,972 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of the Pacific

#14

National University

La Jolla, California
#17 in overall quality

National University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

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

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at National University

#15

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#2 in overall quality

Brandman University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman University is $19,981 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Brandman University

#19 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees 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 $20,283 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Arizona Global Campus.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at UAGC

#17

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#8 in overall quality

Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This medium-sized school is located in La Mirada, California, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Biola is $25,135 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on General Social Sciences at Biola University

#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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Azusa Pacific University is located in Azusa, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Azusa Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,179 for california bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k 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 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 General Social Sciences at Azusa Pacific

#19

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of La Verne is a medium-sized school located in La Verne, California that handed out 3 bachelors’s general 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. It costs about $21,297 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of La Verne.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of La Verne

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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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