Sociology bachelor's degree programs in California

Compare 45 reporting programs using the same federal field and bachelor's degree credential definition. Earnings are observed four years after completion.

45Programs reporting earnings

$56,581Median year-4 earnings

$16,100Median federal debt

43Programs reporting debt

OUTCOME SPREAD

Highest reported earnings in California

Each bar uses the same field, credential, state and earnings year.

1University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley · $13,131 federal debt$71,363 2University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles · $10,324 federal debt$70,555 3California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo · $16,750 federal debt$69,883 4Notre Dame de Namur UniversityBelmont · $26,500 federal debt$68,503 5Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles · $19,500 federal debt$68,053 6California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks · Debt not reported$67,998 7National UniversitySan Diego · $28,125 federal debt$64,860 8University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles · $14,500 federal debt$64,692 9University of Massachusetts GlobalAliso Viejo · $30,273 federal debt$63,036 10University of RedlandsRedlands · $24,500 federal debt$62,516

CAREER CONTEXT IN CA

What related occupations pay in California

These are common occupational matches for this field, ranked by the strength of the federal education-to-occupation match.

11-9199Managers, All Other

State median wage: $174,560
Middle 50% wage range: $132,000–$221,560
State employment: 99,580
Projected growth: +4.9%
Annual openings: 100,900

10th–90th percentile: $98,280–$303,680

25-1067Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary

State median wage: $127,680
Middle 50% wage range: $96,530–$167,290
State employment: 810
Projected growth: +2.2%
Annual openings: 1,000

10th–90th percentile: $71,710–$233,850

19-3041Sociologists

State median wage: $125,770
Middle 50% wage range: $98,770–$138,710
State employment: 590
Projected growth: +3.8%
Annual openings: 200

10th–90th percentile: $85,030–$161,710

25-1069Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other

State median wage: $132,920
Middle 50% wage range: $82,230–$205,150
State employment: 2,760
Projected growth: +1.6%
Annual openings: 1,300

10th–90th percentile: $63,850–$219,230

19-4061Social Science Research Assistants

State median wage: $60,250
Middle 50% wage range: $41,670–$84,990
State employment: 5,300
Projected growth: +5.0%
Annual openings: 4,900

10th–90th percentile: $38,060–$117,070

Career wages and employment are BLS estimates for everyone working in each occupation in California; they are not earnings or placement rates for graduates of these programs. Wage ranges show the distribution across workers, not an entry-to-experienced career path. Growth and annual openings are national 2025–35 projections. BLS reports openings in thousands; DegreeVerdict displays the corresponding job count. These figures provide labor-market context and are not used in DegreeVerdict payoff or ROI calculations.

ALL REPORTING PROGRAMS

Compare every available outcome

Sorted by observed year-4 earnings. Open a row for its exact college-and-degree profile.

#	College	City	Median year-4 earnings	Median federal debt
1	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley	$71,363	$13,131
2	University of Southern California	Los Angeles	$70,555	$10,324
3	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo	$69,883	$16,750
4	Notre Dame de Namur University	Belmont	$68,503	$26,500
5	Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles	$68,053	$19,500
6	California Lutheran University	Thousand Oaks	$67,998	Not available
7	National University	San Diego	$64,860	$28,125
8	University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	$64,692	$14,500
9	University of Massachusetts Global	Aliso Viejo	$63,036	$30,273
10	University of Redlands	Redlands	$62,516	$24,500
11	California State University, East Bay	Hayward	$62,427	$18,654
12	San Francisco State University	San Francisco	$62,385	$15,000
13	Chapman University	Orange	$62,047	$20,500
14	University of San Francisco	San Francisco	$61,883	$25,000
15	University of La Verne	La Verne	$61,350	$23,415
16	University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	$60,013	$13,500
17	Mount Saint Mary's University	Los Angeles	$59,575	$29,250
18	University of California, Davis	Davis	$59,171	$12,600
19	Occidental College	Los Angeles	$58,598	$21,250
20	University of the Pacific	Stockton	$58,275	$25,000
21	California State University, Sacramento	Sacramento	$56,886	$16,100
22	California State University, Channel Islands	Camarillo	$56,855	$15,000
23	Sonoma State University	Rohnert Park	$56,581	$18,000
24	University of California, Irvine	Irvine	$56,457	$15,000
25	University of California, Riverside	Riverside	$55,682	$16,500
26	University of California, San Diego	La Jolla	$55,534	$14,413
27	University of California, Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	$55,338	$16,500
28	California State University, Dominguez Hills	Carson	$55,100	$15,000
29	California State University, Northridge	Northridge	$54,500	$13,000
30	University of San Diego	San Diego	$54,338	$26,000
31	California Baptist University	Riverside	$54,060	$27,000
32	San Diego State University	San Diego	$53,387	$12,500
33	California State University, San Marcos	San Marcos	$53,287	$15,000
34	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	Pomona	$52,694	$13,300
35	California State University, Bakersfield	Bakersfield	$52,618	Not available
36	California State University, Chico	Chico	$52,323	$16,049
37	California State University, Long Beach	Long Beach	$51,982	$12,831
38	California State University, Fullerton	Fullerton	$50,922	$13,917
39	University of California, Merced	Merced	$50,468	$17,515
40	California State University, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	$50,249	$12,500
41	California State University, Fresno	Fresno	$49,407	$11,114
42	California State University, San Bernardino	San Bernardino	$48,954	$13,852
43	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	Arcata	$48,143	$16,458
44	Biola University	La Mirada	$47,052	$26,990
45	California State University, Stanislaus	Turlock	$46,340	$10,613

This is an observed-outcomes comparison, not a universal quality ranking. Missing and privacy-suppressed programs are excluded.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A quick read on Sociology in California

What do Sociology bachelor's degree graduates earn in California?

Across 45 reporting programs, the median observed earnings figure is $56,581 four years after completion.

How much federal debt is reported for these programs?

The median is $16,100 among the 43 programs reporting federal debt.

Which California colleges report the highest earnings for this degree?

The table compares the same federal field, credential and earnings year. University of California, Berkeley has the highest reported figure among the programs shown.