2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Social Sciences School for You
Social Sciences is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 2,501 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Grad Degree Search has created its Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 38 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for social sciences students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for social sciences majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best value school for social sciences students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UC Berkeley undergraduate students pay an average of $14,226 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UC Berkeley is ranked #3 for overall quality for social sciences in California.
Our 2023 rankings named California State University - East Bay the best value school in California for social sciences students. Cal State East Bay is a large public school located in the suburb of Hayward.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal State East Bay are $6,995 a year.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means California State University - Fresno is a great value for social sciences students. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Fresno State are $6,653 a year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Fresno
The excellent programs at San Jose State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in California. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Jose State are $7,852 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, San Jose State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Schools in California list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UC Irvine are $13,775 a year.
Full Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine Report
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCLA are $13,258 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UCLA is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Schools in California list.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a very large student population.
Cal State Fullerton undergraduate students pay an average of $6,976 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
University of California - San Diego came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California ranking. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCSD are $14,700 per year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - San Diego
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social sciences programs. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 15% of our Best Social Sciences Schools in California ranking.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students. Sac State is a very large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Best Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 147 |
| Oregon | 280 |
| Nevada | 63 |
| Hawaii | 63 |
| Alaska | 7 |
More Social Sciences Rankings in California
Social Sciences Related Majors for Social Sciences
Social Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 6,173 |
| International Relations & National Security | 5,010 |
| Political Science & Government | 2,664 |
| Geography & Cartography | 2,315 |
| Sociology | 1,907 |
| Anthropology | 1,446 |
| Criminology | 936 |
| General Social Sciences | 745 |
| Other Social Sciences | 532 |
| Urban Studies | 432 |
| Archeology | 66 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 66 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Social Sciences
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 199,724 |
| Psychology | 42,013 |
| Communication & Journalism | 12,242 |
| Library Science | 5,929 |
| History | 4,391 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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