2023 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Social Work Bachelor'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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Social Work program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the social work bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in California.
Top 10 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Fresno Pacific University to be the most popular school for social work students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fresno.
Women make up 85% of the social work majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Fresno Pacific take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,275.
Full Social Work at Fresno Pacific University Report
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Our analysis found California State University - Sacramento to be the most popular school for social work students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Sac State is a very large public school located in the large city of Sacramento.
Of the 210 students majoring in social work at Sac State, 13% are male and 87% are female.
Social Work majors at Sac State take out an average of $22,418 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $159.
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the # 3 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Women make up 88% of the social work majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Cal State LA take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $15,648.
Full Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles Report
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Brandman University is a great place for social work students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
About 87% of the students majoring in social work at the school are women while 13% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, social work majors at Brandman accumulate an average of around $35,660 in student debt.
Full Social Work at Brandman University Report
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the # 5 spot on the list. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
Of the 130 students majoring in social work at Fresno State, 9% are male and 91% are female.
Social Work majors at Fresno State take out an average of $15,342 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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San Diego State University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. SDSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Diego.
Women make up 88% of the social work majors at the school.
On average, social work graduates from SDSU take out $18,278 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree social work programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 79 students majoring in social work at UC Berkeley, 19% are male and 81% are female.
On average, social work graduates from UC Berkeley take out $15,457 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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California State University - Chico came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
About 87% of the students majoring in social work at the school are women while 13% are male.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Chico State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $19,251.
Full Social Work at California State University - Chico Report
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California State University - Long Beach came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 94% of the social work majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, social work majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt.
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Humboldt State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for social work students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Arcata.
About 92% of the students majoring in social work at the school are women while 8% are male.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Humboldt State University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $21,631.
Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University
Request InformationBest Social Work Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular Social Work Colleges 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 |
Social Work Related Majors
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.
- 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.