2023 Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Social Work Master's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 4,819 degrees and certificates were awarded to social work students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #26 most popular major in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in California to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Social Work Master's Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for social work students who want to pursue a master’s degree in California. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great place for social work students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at San Jose State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in California. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Turlock, Stan State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree social work programs. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Fresno.
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California State University - East Bay came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Hayward.
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California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #8 on this year’s Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools in California list. CSUMB is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside.
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With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s best schools for social work students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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San Francisco State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social work students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
Full Social Work at San Francisco State University Report
Request InformationBest Social Work Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 678 |
| Oregon | 501 |
| Nevada | 462 |
| Hawaii | 199 |
| Alaska | 76 |
More Social Work Rankings in California
Social Work Related Rankings by Major
One of 5 majors within the area of study, social work has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Social Work
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 16,905 |
| Human Services | 13,238 |
| Public Policy | 6,430 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 3,096 |
| Other Public Administration | 588 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 Army Medicine.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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