2023 Best Value Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Social Sciences Master's Degree 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 Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 38 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value master's degree programs for social sciences students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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 Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Irvine the best value school in California for social sciences students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at UC Irvine are $13,356 per year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at California State University - East Bay helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value social sciences schools in California. Cal State East Bay is a large public school located in the large suburb of Hayward.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Cal State East Bay are $8,429 a year.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Fresno State is a very large public school located in the large city of Fresno.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Fresno State are $8,087 per year.
Request Information
Out of the 38 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at San Jose State are $9,286 a year.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.
UC Berkeley graduate students pay an average of $14,160 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
UC Berkeley did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California list.
Request Information
University of California - San Diego came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at UCSD are $13,564 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UCSD is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California list.
Full Social Sciences at University of California - San Diego Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public college with a very large student population.
Cal State Fullerton graduate students pay an average of $8,410 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Fullerton
Request Information
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at UCLA are $13,036 a year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UCLA is ranked #4 for overall quality for social sciences in California.
Request Information
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $11,629 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also is in the top 10% of our Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking.
Request Information
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
Sac State graduate students pay an average of $8,826 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Sacramento
Request InformationBest Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.