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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in California

25 Ranked Colleges
194 Degrees Awarded
$37,428 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Sociology 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 Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Sociology is the 25th most popular major in the country with 35,816 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $31,418 and had an average of $22,369 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 13,805 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,847 and $17,700 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 194 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $63,735 and $51,649 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in sociology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their sociology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The sociology 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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California

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

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 34 masters’s sociology degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Stanford

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Arizona Global Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California. UAGC is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Read more about Sociology at UAGC

3

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 12 masters’s sociology 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%.

Read more about Sociology at CSUDH

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 16 students 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Cal State LA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - San Marcos. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s sociology degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Sociology at CSUSM

6
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students 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%.

Full Humboldt State University Sociology Report

7

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at UCLA

8

California State University - Fullerton ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Sociology at Cal State Fullerton

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Full UC Santa Cruz Sociology Report

10

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 4 masters’s sociology degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Sociology at University of California - Santa Barbara

11
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Sociology at SDSU

12

University of California - Davis ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at UC Davis

13

University of California - Irvine ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Irvine

14

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 12 masters’s sociology 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Sac State

15

California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 14 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Sociology at CSUN

16

University of California - Riverside ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 10 masters’s sociology 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Sociology at University of California - Riverside

17

University of California - Berkeley came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 10 masters’s sociology 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 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Sociology Report

18

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 4 masters’s sociology degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UCSD

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at San Jose State

20

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 129 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at California State University - Bakersfield

20

California State University - East Bay landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 188 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Sociology at California State University - East Bay

20
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 61 masters’s sociology degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Southern California Sociology Report

20

With a ranking of #20, University of California - San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this small public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UCSF Sociology Report

20

University of California - Merced came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at UC Merced

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Sociology Major in California list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 306 masters’s sociology degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Sociology at CSULB

Notes and References

References

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