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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in California

81 Ranked Colleges
25,697 Degrees Awarded
$34,949 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 197,356 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In , social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $36,428 and had an average of $22,588 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 48,302 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,887 and $18,473 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 25,697 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California” ranking, we looked at 81 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in social sciences.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in California

1
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 206 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Sciences at Claremont McKenna College

2
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Occidental College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. Oxy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 169 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Occidental College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 1,825 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

4
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California. Pomona College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 97 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Pomona College

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California. Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute

6

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 2,511 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 UCLA

7
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 47 students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Scripps

8
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #8, Pitzer College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. Pitzer College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 64 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Pitzer College

9

University of California - Riverside landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,197 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - Riverside

10

California State University - San Marcos ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. California State University - San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 717 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at CSUSM

11
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

With a ranking of #11, Whittier College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. Whittier is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Whittier

12

University of California - Irvine landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,483 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,864 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UC Berkeley

14
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 317 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at SSU

15

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 669 students in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad 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 Social Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

16

University of California - Davis landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 1,402 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - Davis

17

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 189 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at California State University - Channel Islands

18

University of California - Merced landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 269 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 UC Merced Social Sciences Report

19
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Loyola Marymount University is a fairly large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 254 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Loyola Marymount University

20

California State University - Fresno came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 687 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Social Sciences Report

21

With a ranking of #21, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,090 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UCSD

22

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 295 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Stan State

23

California State University - Chico ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 404 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Chico

24
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 146 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Humboldt State University

25

California State University - Sacramento ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in California list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 700 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Social Sciences Report

Notes and References

References

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