Program Payoff

Sociology programs in California

118 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 2 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $25,194 at San Diego Mesa College.

What this work pays in California

Managers, All Other in California earn a median of $174,560 a year across 99,580 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.

Also leads toMedianJobs in California
Social Science Research Assistants$60,2505,300
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other$132,9202,760
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary$127,680810
Sociologists$125,770590

Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

Schools

SchoolCredentialMedian debtGraduate earnings, 2 yrsGraduates
San Diego Mesa College San Diego Associate's degree — $25,194 (13 grads) 35
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita Associate's degree — $21,508 (12 grads) 102
Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster Associate's degree $13,500 not published 69
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Associate's degree — not published 37
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria Associate's degree — not published 27
American River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 45
Bakersfield College Bakersfield Associate's degree — not published 135
Barstow Community College Barstow Associate's degree — not published 14
Berkeley City College Berkeley Associate's degree — not published 31
Butte College Oroville Associate's degree — not published 10
Cabrillo College Aptos Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Cabrillo College Aptos Associate's degree — not published 53
Canada College Redwood City Associate's degree — not published 40
Cerritos College Norwalk Associate's degree — not published 90
Cerro Coso Community College Ridgecrest Associate's degree — not published 2
Chabot College Hayward Associate's degree — not published 49
Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga Associate's degree — not published 112
Citrus College Glendora Associate's degree — not published 158
City College of San Francisco San Francisco Associate's degree — not published 34
Clovis Community College Fresno Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Clovis Community College Fresno Associate's degree — not published 28
Coalinga College Coalinga Associate's degree — not published —
Coastline Community College Fountain Valley Associate's degree — not published 46
College of Alameda Alameda Associate's degree — not published 40
College of Marin Kentfield Associate's degree — not published 10
College of San Mateo San Mateo Associate's degree — not published 26
College of the Desert Palm Desert Associate's degree — not published 61
College of the Redwoods Eureka Associate's degree — not published 9
College of the Sequoias Visalia Associate's degree — not published 78
College of the Siskiyous Weed Associate's degree — not published 2
Columbia College Sonora Associate's degree — not published 7
Compton College Compton Associate's degree — not published 27
Contra Costa College San Pablo Associate's degree — not published 19
Copper Mountain Community College Joshua Tree Associate's degree — not published 4
Cosumnes River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 60
Crafton Hills College Yucaipa Associate's degree — not published 36
Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Associate's degree — not published 47
Cuyamaca College El Cajon Associate's degree — not published 17
Cypress College Cypress Associate's degree — not published 50
De Anza College Cupertino Associate's degree — not published 47
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Associate's degree — not published 45
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park Associate's degree — not published 122
El Camino Community College District Torrance Associate's degree — not published 124
Evergreen Valley College San Jose Associate's degree — not published 18
Feather River Community College District Quincy Associate's degree — not published 41
Folsom Lake College Folsom Associate's degree — not published 14
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Associate's degree — not published 50
Fresno City College Fresno Associate's degree — not published 68
Fullerton College Fullerton Associate's degree — not published 150
Gavilan College Gilroy Associate's degree — not published 11
Glendale Community College Glendale Associate's degree — not published 56
Golden West College Huntington Beach Associate's degree — not published 41
Grossmont College El Cajon Associate's degree — not published 45
Hartnell College Salinas Associate's degree — not published 64
Imperial Valley College Imperial Associate's degree — not published 58
Irvine Valley College Irvine Associate's degree — not published 29
Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe Associate's degree — not published 38
Laney College Oakland Associate's degree — not published 19
Las Positas College Livermore Associate's degree — not published 22
Lassen Community College Susanville Associate's degree — not published 6
Lemoore College Lemoore Associate's degree — not published 25
Long Beach City College Long Beach Associate's degree — not published 188
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published —
Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington Associate's degree — not published 22
Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar Associate's degree — not published 41
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills Associate's degree — not published 50
Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 35
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 25
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Associate's degree — not published 97
Los Medanos College Pittsburg Associate's degree — not published 37
Madera Community College Madera Associate's degree — not published 20
Mendocino College Ukiah Associate's degree — not published 6
Merced College Merced Associate's degree — not published 93
Merritt College Oakland Associate's degree — not published 12
MiraCosta College Oceanside Associate's degree — not published 50
Mission College Santa Clara Associate's degree — not published 38
Modesto Junior College Modesto Associate's degree — not published 83
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Associate's degree — not published 5
Moorpark College Moorpark Associate's degree — not published 68
Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley Associate's degree — not published 43
Mt San Antonio College Walnut Associate's degree — not published 242
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto Associate's degree — not published 12
Napa Valley College Napa Associate's degree — not published 24
Norco College Norco Associate's degree — not published 42
Ohlone College Fremont Associate's degree — not published 19
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Associate's degree — not published 39
Oxnard College Oxnard Associate's degree — not published 91
Palo Verde College Blythe Associate's degree — not published 9
Palomar College San Marcos Associate's degree — not published 86
Pasadena City College Pasadena Associate's degree — not published 70
Porterville College Porterville Associate's degree — not published 25
Reedley College Reedley Associate's degree — not published 28
Rio Hondo College Whittier Associate's degree — not published 83
Riverside City College Riverside Associate's degree — not published 82
Sacramento City College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 63
Saddleback College Mission Viejo Associate's degree — not published 42
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Associate's degree — not published 41
San Diego City College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 20
San Diego Miramar College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 27
San Jose City College San Jose Associate's degree — not published 40
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Associate's degree — not published 76
Santa Monica College Santa Monica Associate's degree — not published 77
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Associate's degree — not published 89
Santiago Canyon College Orange Associate's degree — not published 48
Shasta College Redding Associate's degree — not published 15
Sierra College Rocklin Associate's degree — not published 41
Skyline College San Bruno Associate's degree — not published 13
Solano Community College Fairfield Associate's degree — not published 17
Southwestern College Chula Vista Associate's degree — not published 65
Taft College Taft Associate's degree — not published 19
Ventura College Ventura Associate's degree — not published 82
Victor Valley College Victorville Associate's degree — not published 33
West Los Angeles College Culver City Associate's degree — not published 30
West Valley College Saratoga Associate's degree — not published 30
Woodland Community College Woodland Associate's degree — not published 12
Yuba College Marysville Associate's degree — not published 14

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 Sociology — nothing else, and nothing in between.

Double opt-in. One email a year at most, unsubscribe in one click. We never pass your address to a school. Privacy policy.

Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.