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 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 Value Social Sciences Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 56 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for social sciences students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis found Santa Rosa Junior College to be the best value school for social sciences students who want to pursue a degree in California. SRJC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Santa Rosa.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRJC are $1,328 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SRJC also is in the top 10% of our Best Social Sciences Schools in California ranking.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means East Los Angeles College is a great value for social sciences students. East Los Angeles College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Monterey Park.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at East Los Angeles College are $1,238 per year. On average, social sciences graduates from East Los Angeles College take out $5,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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The excellent programs at Butte College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in California. Butte College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Oroville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Butte College are $1,368 per year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Butte College take out is $10,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American River College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Sacramento, American River is a public school 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 Mt. San Jacinto College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California list. MSJC is a large public school located in the suburb of San Jacinto.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MSJC are $1,406 a year. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from MSJC carry an average student debtload of $5,500.
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Antelope Valley College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social sciences programs. Located in the suburb of Lancaster, Antelope Valley College is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Antelope Valley College are $1,124 a year. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Antelope Valley College carry an average student debtload of $13,530.
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California State University - Channel Islands ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Camarillo, CSUCI is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
CSUCI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,817 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at CSUCI take out is $18,148.
Full Social Sciences at California State University - Channel Islands Report
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California State University - East Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social sciences students. It came in at #8 on the list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly 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. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Cal State East Bay carry an average student debtload of $16,425.
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California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in California list. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
Fresno State undergraduate students pay an average of $6,653 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Sciences majors at Fresno State take out an average of $13,874 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #10, San Jose State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $7,852 per year.
San Jose State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Schools in California list.
Request InformationBest 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 | 3,812 |
| Oregon | 2,748 |
| Hawaii | 586 |
| Nevada | 925 |
| Alaska | 90 |
More Social Sciences Rankings in California
Social Sciences Related Majors for Social Sciences
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
- 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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