by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for social work students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,057 master's degrees in social work during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of social work for getting your master's degree school matters. 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 colleges for social work students working on their master's degree.
The social work 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 the Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in California.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in social work.
University of Southern California is a good choice for students interested in a master's degree in social work. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Soon after graduating, social work master's recipients generally earn about $61,298 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in social work from University of Southern California
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in social work needs to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in social work from University of California - Berkeley
San Diego State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social work. SDSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Diego.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program state that they receive average early career income of $61,978.
More information about a master’s in social work from San Diego State University
California State University - Long Beach is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social work. CSULB is a very large public university located in the large city of Long Beach.
Soon after graduation, social work master's recipients generally make around $66,873 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Long Beach
Located in the midsize city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population.
Soon after graduating, social work master's recipients typically earn about $67,479 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - San Bernardino
Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a very large student population.
After graduating, social work master's recipients typically make about $65,967 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Sacramento
Cal State LA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program report average early career wages of $64,869.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Los Angeles
Located in the city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a very large student population.
After graduating, social work master's recipients typically earn an average of $64,193 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Northridge
Located in the large city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the social work program earn about $62,331 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in social work from California Baptist University
Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Azusa.
Master's students who receive their degree from the social work program make around $61,612 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in social work from Azusa Pacific UniversityExplore all the Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 183 | 398 |
| Oregon | 158 | 304 |
| Nevada | 105 | 235 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 95 |
| Alaska | 52 | 27 |
Social Work is one of 0 different types of <nil> programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 3,049 |
| Other Social Work | 8 |
