by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 152 master's degrees in sociology during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The sociology master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for sociology students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for sociology students seeking a a master's degree.
Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in sociology. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford.More information about a master’s in sociology from Stanford University
University of California - Berkeley is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in sociology. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Los Angeles is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in sociology. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of California - Los Angeles
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in sociology needs to take a look at California State University - San Marcos. CSUSM is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of San Marcos.More information about a master’s in sociology from California State University - San Marcos
Cal State LA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Soon after graduation, sociology master's recipients generally earn an average of $50,577 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in sociology from California State University - Los AngelesExplore all the Best Sociology Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 183 | 6 |
| Oregon | 158 | 7 |
| Nevada | 105 | 5 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 1 |
Sociology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Sociology | 152 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 574 |
| International Relations & National Security | 438 |
| Geography & Cartography | 162 |
| Political Science & Government | 117 |
| Anthropology | 98 |
| Urban Studies | 45 |
| General Social Sciences | 41 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 29 |
| Other Social Sciences | 20 |
| Archeology | 6 |
