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Best Sociology Schools in California

California has 52 colleges offering Sociology programs tracked by the College Scorecard, producing 7,754 recent graduates. Graduates earn $31,993 on average within two years, roughly in line with the national average of $31,638.

School choice matters significantly: Occidental College graduates earn $41,565 while University of La Verne graduates earn $24,421 — a $17,144 gap. Research each program's curriculum, employer connections, and career services before deciding.

52
Schools in CA
$31,993
CA Avg. Earnings
$31,638
National Avg.
545
Schools Nationally

Public vs Private: Sociology in California

Public Schools (31)
$32,417
avg. 2yr earnings
Private Schools (20)
$31,194
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools in California produce comparable or higher early earnings for Sociology graduates, often at lower cost — making them strong value options.

Sociology Schools in California, Ranked by Earnings

#1
O

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$41,565
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 39.9%
#2
S

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · Private

$41,565
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $35,892
Graduates: 20
Acceptance: 43.8%
#3
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$41,261
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $42,238
Graduates: 229
Acceptance: 11.7%
#4
C

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$41,193
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $39,856
Graduates: 59
Acceptance: 29.8%
#5
U

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA · Public

$38,289
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $39,940
Graduates: 35
Acceptance: N/A
#6
S

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$37,568
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $41,623
Graduates: 88
Acceptance: 80.2%
#7
U

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA · Private

$37,208
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $42,058
Graduates: 45
Acceptance: 50.8%
#8
C

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA · Public

$36,344
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,888
Graduates: 292
Acceptance: 93.6%
#9
S

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$36,147
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $37,633
Graduates: 99
Acceptance: 96.2%
#10
C

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA · Public

$36,129
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,269
Graduates: 148
Acceptance: 73.7%
#11
N

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA · Private

$35,954
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,380
Graduates: 24
Acceptance: 16.5%
#12
C

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$35,518
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $38,566
Graduates: 249
Acceptance: 96.8%
#13
C

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA · Public

$35,142
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $34,615
Graduates: 181
Acceptance: 93.1%
#14
S

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA · Public

$35,123
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $36,544
Graduates: 173
Acceptance: 94.7%
#15
A

Ashford University

San Diego, CA ·

$34,847
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $33,394
Graduates: 116
Acceptance: N/A
#16
U

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$34,562
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $32,675
Graduates: 497
Acceptance: 8.7%
#17
L

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$34,381
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,116
Graduates: 39
Acceptance: 40.3%
#18
U

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public

$34,105
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,674
Graduates: 203
Acceptance: 41.6%
#19
S

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA · Private

$33,993
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 88.6%
#20
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$33,687
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $37,102
Graduates: 51
Acceptance: 10.0%
#21
C

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public

$33,467
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,883
Graduates: 634
Acceptance: 93.2%
#22
C

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA · Public

$33,459
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,516
Graduates: 417
Acceptance: 86.7%
#23
N

National University

San Diego, CA · Private

$33,459
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $35,735
Graduates: 43
Acceptance: N/A
#24
C

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA · Public

$32,043
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,045
Graduates: 276
Acceptance: 91.3%
#25
C

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$31,712
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,487
Graduates: 135
Acceptance: 93.7%
#26
C

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA · Private

$31,314
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 88.9%
#27
M

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$31,133
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,795
Graduates: 72
Acceptance: 68.7%
#28
U

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public

$30,771
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,964
Graduates: 112
Acceptance: 24.5%
#29
U

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA · Public

$30,719
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $28,687
Graduates: 495
Acceptance: 27.8%
#30
C

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public

$30,510
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,491
Graduates: 422
Acceptance: 47.1%
#31
C

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA · Public

$30,363
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,051
Graduates: 45
Acceptance: 88.2%
#32
C

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$30,240
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,102
Graduates: 479
Acceptance: 91.9%
#33
U

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA · Public

$30,228
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $24,524
Graduates: 73
Acceptance: 39.2%
#34
U

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA · Private

$30,119
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,886
Graduates: 38
Acceptance: 46.8%
#35
C

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA · Public

$29,891
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,801
Graduates: 319
Acceptance: 98.3%
#36
U

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA · Public

$29,799
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,085
Graduates: 221
Acceptance: 25.6%
#37
N

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA · Private

$29,685
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,567
Graduates: 19
Acceptance: N/A
#38
C

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Public

$29,685
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $30,004
Graduates: 166
Acceptance: 95.7%
#39
A

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA · Private

$29,141
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $27,177
Graduates: 37
Acceptance: 79.5%
#40
U

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA · Public

$29,141
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $27,765
Graduates: 282
Acceptance: 62.5%
#41
U

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA · Public

$28,423
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,056
Graduates: 268
Acceptance: 63.3%
#42
W

Whittier College

Whittier, CA · Private

$28,309
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $25,730
Graduates: 16
Acceptance: 85.4%
#43
C

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA · Public

$26,880
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $29,124
Graduates: 180
Acceptance: 97.5%
#44
C

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA · Private

$26,585
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $35,900
Graduates: 35
Acceptance: 73.6%
#45
V

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA · Private

$26,353
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 64.7%
#46
S

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Public

$25,826
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,838
Graduates: 142
Acceptance: 34.4%
#47
B

Biola University

La Mirada, CA · Private

$25,387
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $28,935
Graduates: 58
Acceptance: 60.1%
#48
C

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $26,801
Graduates: 111
Acceptance: 96.4%
#49
C

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA · Public

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $22,867
Graduates: 52
Acceptance: 98.8%
#50
U

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA · Private

$25,194
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $33,044
Graduates: 18
Acceptance: 94.9%
#51
C

Chapman University

Orange, CA · Private

$24,421
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $24,974
Graduates: 19
Acceptance: 55.6%
#52
U

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA · Private

$24,421
2yr Earnings
1yr Earnings: $31,563
Graduates: 22
Acceptance: 48.5%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Sociology in California?
Occidental College ranks #1 for Sociology in California with median graduate earnings of $41,565 within two years of graduation. There are 52 schools offering Sociology programs in the state.
How much do Sociology graduates earn in California?
Sociology graduates in California earn an average of $31,993 within two years of graduation. This is 1% above the national average of $31,638 for this major.
What is the hardest Sociology school to get into in California?
University of California-Los Angeles is the most selective Sociology program in California with an acceptance rate of 8.7%. The average acceptance rate across Sociology programs in the state is 65.3%.
Should I attend a public or private school for Sociology in California?
In California, private Sociology programs produce average earnings of $31,194 vs $32,417 at public schools. However, public schools typically cost less — consider net price relative to earnings when calculating ROI. There are 31 public and 20 private options in the state.

Other Popular Majors in California

Construction Management $81,700 Construction Engineering $81,610 Construction Engineering Technologies $76,343 Engineering, General $76,184 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions $75,984 Manufacturing Engineering $73,841 Engineering-Related Fields $73,096 Computer Science $72,889
All colleges in California →

Sociology in Other States

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Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.