Best colleges for social work in California
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in social work, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for social work in California26 schools
26 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in California.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in social work, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 2
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 3
Chapman University
Orange, CA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 4
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · PublicExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 5
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofitTop 12% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 6
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA · PublicTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 7
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · PublicTop 7% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 8
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B · Top 36%
- 9
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA · Private nonprofitTop 14% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 10
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · PublicTop 20% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 11
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · PublicTop 8% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 12
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · PublicTop 14% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 13
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA · PublicTop 3% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 14
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · PublicTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 15
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · PublicTop 8% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 16
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · PublicTop 3% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 17
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A- · Top 19%
- 18
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofitTop 13% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B+ · Top 32%
- 19
Whittier College
Whittier, CA · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B-
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B-
- 20
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA · Private nonprofitTop 25% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B-
- 21
La Sierra University
Riverside, CA · Private nonprofitTop 25% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 22
California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA · PublicTop 13% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 23
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Arcata, CA · PublicGood: Compass grade B-
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B+ · Top 24%
- 24
Touro University Worldwide
Los Alamitos, CA · Private nonprofitSolid: Compass grade C+
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 25
Simpson University
Redding, CA · Private nonprofitSolid: Compass grade C+
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B-
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley | About $13,000 | $13,000 | $92,446 | 93% |
| San Diego State University | About $15,000 | $15,000 | $64,909 | 76% |
| Chapman University | About $47,000 | $20,500 | $70,070 | 82% |
| California State University-Long Beach | About $10,000 | $14,289 | $64,403 | 69% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | About $39,000 | $22,990 | $63,998 | 77% |
| San Jose State University | About $14,000 | $15,000 | $78,988 | 69% |
| California State University-Fullerton | About $7,000 | $13,750 | $62,951 | 70% |
| Azusa Pacific University | About $22,000 | $23,219 | $66,677 | 62% |
| Pacific Union College | About $41,000 | $27,500 | $70,484 | 58% |
| California State University-Chico | About $14,000 | $16,552 | $64,172 | 63% |
| California State University-Fresno | About $7,000 | $14,505 | $61,244 | 57% |
| California State University-Sacramento | About $9,000 | $15,000 | $64,876 | 56% |
| California State University-San Bernardino | About $5,000 | $14,715 | $59,977 | 55% |
| San Francisco State University | About $12,000 | $15,371 | $68,077 | 50% |
| California State University-Northridge | About $7,000 | $13,872 | $59,115 | 57% |
| California State University-Los Angeles | About $4,000 | $13,000 | $59,211 | 53% |
| Fresno Pacific University | About $14,000 | $23,146 | $58,896 | 50% |
| Mount Saint Mary's University | About $21,000 | $25,949 | $72,379 | 53% |
| Whittier College | About $26,000 | $24,937 | $59,492 | 60% |
| California Baptist University | About $26,000 | $26,063 | $61,504 | 62% |
| La Sierra University | About $46,000 | $27,000 | $61,824 | 60% |
| California State University-East Bay | About $9,000 | $16,544 | $71,401 | 48% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | About $13,000 | $18,000 | $47,626 | 49% |
| Touro University Worldwide | About $19,000 | $25,000 | $40,803 | 29% |
| Simpson University | About $28,000 | $18,750 | $54,340 | 49% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 16
- Arizona 4
- Arkansas 10
- Colorado 5
- Connecticut 13
- District of Columbia 3
- Florida 14
- Georgia 12
- Hawaii 3
- Idaho 5
- Illinois 21
- Indiana 21
- Iowa 14
- Kansas 10
- Kentucky 14
- Louisiana 9
- Maine 5
- Maryland 10
- Massachusetts 12
- Michigan 22
- Minnesota 16
- Mississippi 11
- Missouri 18
- Nebraska 6
- New Hampshire 4
- New Jersey 13
- New York 29
- North Carolina 24
- North Dakota 3
- Ohio 42
- Oklahoma 6
- Oregon 5
- Pennsylvania 34
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 3
- South Carolina 6
- Tennessee 19
- Texas 34
- Utah 4
- Vermont 3
- Virginia 15
- Washington 8
- West Virginia 7
- Wisconsin 16