Best Sociology Programs in California (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 48 Sociology programs in California by the median earnings of Sociology graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of California-Berkeley leads the list with median earnings of $71,363 four years after completing, followed by University of Southern California at $70,555 and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo at $69,883.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $55,219, with a spread of $45,010 from the top to the bottom of the table.
Public institutions account for 30 of the 48 programs, while 18 are private nonprofit. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the page at $3,967.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $71,363 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley reports $71,363 in median earnings for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $13,481. | |||||
| 2 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $70,555 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| With an admission rate of 10%, University of Southern California shows median earnings of $70,555 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $69,883 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 58th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $69,883 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $68,053 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University posts an average net price of $48,381 and a median of $17,750 in federal debt among its Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 5 | California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA | $67,998 | $30,109 | $22,161 | 75.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed from California Lutheran University left with a median of $21,669 in federal loans, while its Sociology graduates earned $67,998 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $64,692 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles admits 9% of applicants and reports $64,692 in median earnings for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $62,516 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
| A median of $24,500 in federal debt among its Sociology completers who borrowed accompanies University of Redlands's rank of 7th on this list. | |||||
| 8 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $62,427 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| California State University-East Bay reports an average net price of $9,320 and median earnings of $62,427 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $62,385 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University ranks 51st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with a median of $15,000 in federal debt among its Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 10 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $62,047 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University reports median earnings of $62,047 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $46,555. | |||||
| 11 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $61,883 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco admits 62% of applicants and its Sociology completers who borrowed left with a median of $24,125 in federal loans. | |||||
| 12 | University of La Verne · La Verne, CA | $61,350 | $20,161 | $20,151 | 71.2% |
| Ranking 12th on this list, University of La Verne reports median earnings of $61,350 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $60,013 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara reports median earnings of $60,013 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside a median federal debt of $13,500 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 14 | Mount Saint Mary's University · Los Angeles, CA | $59,575 | $21,413 | $23,849 | 73.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, Mount Saint Mary's University admits 73% of applicants and shows median earnings of $59,575 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $59,171 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis ranks 18th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts median earnings of $59,171 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA | $58,598 | $38,263 | $20,705 | 44.2% |
| Occidental College carries an average net price of $38,263 and reports median earnings of $58,598 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $58,275 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| University of the Pacific shows a median federal debt of $25,000 among Sociology completers who borrowed, while its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $58,275. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $56,886 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento admits 94% of applicants and reports median earnings of $56,886 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $9,338. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $56,855 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| With an average net price of $6,857 for families earning under $30,000, California State University-Channel Islands ranks 19th on this list and posts median earnings of $56,855 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $56,581 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University reports median earnings of $56,581 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $17,000 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 21 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $56,457 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants and ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $56,457 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $55,682 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| An average net price of $8,852 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $55,682 for University of California-Riverside's Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $55,534 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median earnings of $55,534 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $55,338 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| An average net price of $17,890 and an admission rate of 66% accompany median earnings of $55,338 for University of California-Santa Cruz's Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $55,100 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills reports median earnings of $55,100 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $8,615. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $54,500 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| With a median federal debt of $12,500 among Sociology completers who borrowed, California State University-Northridge ranks 7th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $54,338 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in San Diego, University of San Diego admits 52% of applicants and shows median earnings of $54,338 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $54,060 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University posts an average net price of $26,285 and a median federal debt of $26,457 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 29 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $53,387 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 29th on this list, with median earnings of $53,387 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 36%. | |||||
| 30 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $53,287 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| An average net price of $6,230 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a median federal debt of $15,000 among Sociology completers who borrowed at California State University-San Marcos. | |||||
| 31 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $52,694 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| Ranking 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona reports median earnings of $52,694 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $52,618 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield carries a median federal debt of $16,600 across all of the school's borrowers who completed and an average net price of $5,652. | |||||
| 33 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $52,323 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| Admitting 93% of applicants, California State University-Chico reports median earnings of $52,323 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $51,982 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $7,183 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 35 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $50,922 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| Median earnings of $50,922 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing combine with a median federal debt of $13,399 among Sociology completers who borrowed at California State University-Fullerton. | |||||
| 36 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $50,468 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| University of California-Merced admits 91% of applicants and posts an average net price of $11,983, with median earnings of $50,468 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 37 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $50,249 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $50,249 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $3,967. | |||||
| 38 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $49,407 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| Median federal debt among Sociology completers who borrowed at California State University-Fresno is $11,000, and the school admits 95% of applicants. | |||||
| 39 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $48,954 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| An average net price of $2,681 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $48,954 for Sociology graduates four years after completing at California State University-San Bernardino. | |||||
| 40 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $48,143 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt ranks 390th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $48,143 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 41 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $47,052 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
| Biola University, a private nonprofit university in La Mirada, shows median federal debt of $25,000 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 42 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $46,340 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| California State University-Stanislaus admits 98% of applicants and its Sociology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $46,340. | |||||
| 43 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $41,565 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University carries an average net price of $50,062 and admits 48% of applicants. | |||||
| 44 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $37,568 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University ranks 44th on this list, with median earnings of $37,568 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 45 | Saint Mary's College of California · Moraga, CA | $33,993 | $30,378 | $19,462 | 86.5% |
| Saint Mary's College of California reports an average net price of $19,462 for families earning under $30,000, and its Sociology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $33,993. | |||||
| 46 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $29,141 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University ranks 481st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 88% of applicants. | |||||
| 47 | Whittier College · Whittier, CA | $28,309 | $25,757 | $21,718 | 80.8% |
| Whittier College shows median earnings of $28,309 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $25,757. | |||||
| 48 | Vanguard University of Southern California · Costa Mesa, CA | $26,353 | $21,241 | $17,225 | 62.4% |
| Vanguard University of Southern California admits 62% of applicants and its Sociology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $26,353. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Sociology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished. For 6 of the 48 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 48 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked University of California-Berkeley and second-ranked University of Southern California is $808.