Social Sciences, General programs in California
79 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 9 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $37,208 at Santa Rosa Junior College.
What this work pays in California
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in California earn a median of $99,650 a year across 155,160 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in California |
|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $174,560 | 99,580 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $101,370 | 99,230 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $98,950 | 37,300 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | $60,250 | 5,300 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $97,900 | 2,970 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa | Associate's degree | — | $37,208 (21 grads) | 378 |
| Butte College Oroville | Associate's degree | $7,500 | $26,739 (21 grads) | 292 |
| Barstow Community College Barstow | Associate's degree | — | $26,353 (13 grads) | 69 |
| Mt San Antonio College Walnut | Associate's degree | — | $25,194 (11 grads) | 413 |
| Palomar College San Marcos | Associate's degree | — | $24,035 (25 grads) | 413 |
| American River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | $20,140 (19 grads) | 411 |
| Napa Valley College Napa | Associate's degree | — | $19,592 (18 grads) | 1 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster | Associate's degree | $14,000 | $18,771 (19 grads) | 355 |
| Yuba College Marysville | Associate's degree | — | $18,771 (19 grads) | 269 |
| East Los Angeles College Monterey Park | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1,009 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 142 |
| Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| Chabot College Hayward | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Citrus College Glendora | Associate's degree | — | not published | 96 |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Clovis Community College Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Clovis Community College Fresno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 124 |
| Coalinga College Coalinga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| College of Alameda Alameda | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| College of San Mateo San Mateo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 133 |
| College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | Associate's degree | — | not published | 526 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| College of the Sequoias Visalia | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| College of the Siskiyous Weed | Associate's degree | — | not published | 45 |
| Cosumnes River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 41 |
| Crafton Hills College Yucaipa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 93 |
| Cuesta College San Luis Obispo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 21 |
| De Anza College Cupertino | Associate's degree | — | not published | 170 |
| Folsom Lake College Folsom | Associate's degree | — | not published | 256 |
| Foothill College Los Altos Hills | Associate's degree | — | not published | 53 |
| Fresno City College Fresno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 89 |
| Fullerton College Fullerton | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Gavilan College Gilroy | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Glendale Community College Glendale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 72 |
| Golden West College Huntington Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Hartnell College Salinas | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Imperial Valley College Imperial | Associate's degree | — | not published | 75 |
| Irvine Valley College Irvine | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | Associate's degree | — | not published | 55 |
| Laney College Oakland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 128 |
| Las Positas College Livermore | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Lemoore College Lemoore | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Long Beach City College Long Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Madera Community College Madera | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Mendocino College Ukiah | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Merced College Merced | Associate's degree | — | not published | 227 |
| Merritt College Oakland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 59 |
| MiraCosta College Oceanside | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Mission College Santa Clara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Modesto Junior College Modesto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Moorpark College Moorpark | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Ohlone College Fremont | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Ohlone College Fremont | Associate's degree | — | not published | 548 |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Porterville College Porterville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 118 |
| Reedley College Reedley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 11 |
| Rio Hondo College Whittier | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| Riverside City College Riverside | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Sacramento City College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 49 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| San Diego Mesa College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| San Diego Mesa College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 101 |
| San Joaquin Delta College Stockton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Santiago Canyon College Orange | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Shasta College Redding | Associate's degree | — | not published | 77 |
| Sierra College Rocklin | Associate's degree | — | not published | 756 |
| Solano Community College Fairfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| West Valley College Saratoga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Woodland Community College Woodland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 195 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Social Sciences, General — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.