2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in California
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 50,479 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,934 and $19,309 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 26,436 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” ranking looked at 63 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 2,699 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of California - Los Angeles Social Sciences Report
Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences 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. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 697 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend CSULB.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Social Sciences at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 700 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Fresno State.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Fresno
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 953 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 1,984 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 1,906 students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 228 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 ranking of #8, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 339 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - East Bay
With a ranking of #9, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 451 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 718 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend CSUSM.
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 more about Social Sciences at California State University - San Marcos
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 633 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - Fullerton Social Sciences Report
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 450 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino
With a ranking of #13, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,086 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 94%.
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.
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 California State University - Monterey Bay Social Sciences Report
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 628 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Cal State LA.
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%.
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 296 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 296 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
With a ranking of #18, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 275 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 full report on Social Sciences at Sonoma State University
California State University - Chico landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 402 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences 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%.
Full California State University - Chico Social Sciences Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,578 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine
Brandman University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Brandman is a fairly large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 42 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Brandman also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brandman is $21,604 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 730 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
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%.
Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - Sacramento
San Francisco State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 509 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
University of California - Davis landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,387 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend UC Davis.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #25. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 393 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
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