2023 Best General Social Sciences Colleges for Veterans in California
22
Ranked Colleges
9,318
Degrees Awarded
$28,700
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 18,762 people earned their degree in general social sciences, making the major the 44th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 9,318 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general social sciences programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences
The colleges and universities below are the best for california vets studying general social sciences.
Top 22 Best General Social Sciences Colleges for Veterans in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. 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 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, USC supports 46,287 students, and 1,311 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 862 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,433 of the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU were GI Bill® students, of which 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full SDSU Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 22 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine, 8 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,620. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Irvine]](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Chico landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 74 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 16,746 students enrolled at California State University - Chico, 354 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 166 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,098. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 full report on veteran student life at California State University - Chico]](/colleges/california-state-university-chico/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 36,208 students enrolled at San Jose State University, 660 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 384 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,909. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 30 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSM also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 16,367 students enrolled at CSUSM, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,056. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Brandman University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking. Brandman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Brandman also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 10,986 students enrolled at Brandman, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,406. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Brandman does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Brandman University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, National University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
National University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 18,070 students enrolled at National University were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. National University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at National University]](/colleges/national-university/student-life/veterans/)
California State University - Sacramento came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 34 of the 32,293 students enrolled at Sac State were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,555. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Sac State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 87 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 7,409 students enrolled at California State University - Monterey Bay, 20 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,369. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Monterey Bay offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at CSUMB]](/colleges/california-state-university-monterey-bay/student-life/veterans/)
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 21 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 400 of the 19,689 students enrolled at CSUSB were GI Bill® students, of which 170 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,274. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Humboldt State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 11 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 6,612 students enrolled at Humboldt State University, 177 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,772. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Humboldt State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Humboldt State University Veteran Student Life Report
Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking. SRJC is a fairly large school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 461 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying general social sciences list, SRJC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 16,757 students enrolled at SRJC, 289 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 223 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $578. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full SRJC Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 66 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Stan State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 163 of the 11,163 students enrolled at California State University - Stanislaus were GI Bill® students, of which 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,287. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Stanislaus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking, coming in at #15. Whittier College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 29 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Whittier also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,564 students enrolled at Whittier College, 33 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,783. During this same period, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Whittier Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #16, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. American River is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 451 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
American River also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 618 of the 25,422 students enrolled at American River College were GI Bill® students, of which 424 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $520. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Butte College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. Oroville, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general social sciences degrees to 372 students in 2020-2021.
Butte College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Butte College supports 9,335 students, and 250 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 154 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $487. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Butte College]](/colleges/butte-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Antelope Valley College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. Antelope Valley College is located in Lancaster, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 311 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Antelope Valley College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 232 of the 12,057 students enrolled at Antelope Valley College were GI Bill® students, of which 116 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $315. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full Antelope Valley College Veteran Student Life Report
East Los Angeles College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking. East Los Angeles College is a large public school situated in Monterey Park, California. It awarded 1,106 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
East Los Angeles College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 33,397 students enrolled at East Los Angeles College, 198 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 139 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $377. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full East Los Angeles College Veteran Student Life Report
Barstow Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Barstow, California, this small public school handed out 128 degrees to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barstow Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 88 of the 2,444 students enrolled at Barstow Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 39 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $403. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Barstow Community College]](/colleges/barstow-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Mt. San Jacinto College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Jacinto, California, this fairly large public school awarded 230 degrees to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
MSJC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 13,988 students enrolled at Mt. San Jacinto College, 848 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 419 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $307. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #22, Hope International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for General Social Sciences list. Hope is located in Fullerton, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california vets studying general social sciences list, Hope has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 22 of the 1,201 students enrolled at Hope International University were GI Bill® students, of which 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,704. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 85%.
Read More…
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
Credits