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Best Social Sciences Schools in California

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2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in California

56 Colleges
$35,887 Avg Salary
$17,995 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Sciences School for You

Social Sciences is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 51,430 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 4th out of all the majors we track in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Social Sciences Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 56 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for social sciences majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Social Sciences Schools

#1

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Claremont McKenna College the best school in California for social sciences students. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Claremont McKenna carry an average student debtload of $14,000.

Full Social Sciences at Claremont McKenna College Report

#2

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read More…

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

The excellent programs at Stanford University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in California. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Stanford.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Stanford University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Social Sciences majors at UC Berkeley take out an average of $13,497 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $306, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

Out of the 56 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Clara University landed the # 5 spot on the list. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at SCU take out is $22,000.

Read More…

#6

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA

With a ranking of #6, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on this year’s best schools for social sciences students. SRJC is a large public school located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa.

Full Social Sciences at Santa Rosa Junior College Report

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social sciences students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.

Social Sciences majors at UCLA take out an average of $14,584 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $208.

Full Social Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles Report

University of Southern California landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Social Sciences majors at USC take out an average of $15,422 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $353, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Sciences at University of Southern California Report

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from UCSB carry an average student debtload of $15,310. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $290.

Full Social Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

Claremont Graduate University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in California ranking. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

Full Social Sciences at Claremont Graduate University Report

Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 3,812
Oregon 2,748
Hawaii 586
Nevada 925
Alaska 90

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Criminology 11,039
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Urban Studies 1,507
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339
Demography & Population Studies 88

Related Major Annual Graduates
Education 327,871
Psychology 195,678
Communication & Journalism 120,571
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 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 AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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