Best colleges for Human Resources Management and Services in California
Ranked by graduate earnings
University of Southern California, National University and San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia award the most Human Resources Management and Services degrees and certificates in California: 174, 86 and 64 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 38 California colleges offer Human Resources Management and Services and award 916 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Human Resources Management and Services program prepares students for effective management of people within organizations. This program focuses on policies and systems related to employee recruitment, training, performance appraisal,…
Top 3 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia Visalia Private for-profit · Associate degree | $46,445 | 64 | 36% | $30,518 | $20,000 |
| 2 | University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo Public · Bachelor's degree Online | $65,673 | 27 | 43% | — | $22,979 |
| 3 | San Francisco State University San Francisco Public · Bachelor's degree Small program | $46,041 | 2 | 50% | — | — |
Colleges awarding the most Human Resources Management and Services degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California Los Angeles Private not-for-profit | 174 | Not reported |
| 2 | National University San Diego Private not-for-profit | 86 | Not reported |
| 3 | San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia Visalia Private for-profit | 64 | $46,445 |
| 4 | University of La Verne La Verne Private not-for-profit | 60 | Not reported |
| 5 | Pepperdine University Malibu Private not-for-profit | 46 | Not reported |
| 6 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara Private not-for-profit | 40 | Not reported |
| 7 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles Public | 28 | Not reported |
| 8 | Pitzer College Claremont Private not-for-profit | 25 | Not reported |
| 9 | Saint Mary's College of California Moraga Private not-for-profit | 23 | Not reported |
| 10 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa Private not-for-profit | 14 | Not reported |
ShowHide the other 28 California colleges offering Human Resources Management and Services
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fielding Graduate University (Graduate only) | Santa Barbara | Private not-for-profit | 75 |
| Golden Gate University (Degree completion) | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 33 |
| Claremont Lincoln University (Online) | Claremont | Private not-for-profit | 33 |
| Touro University Worldwide (Online) | Los Alamitos | Private not-for-profit | 32 |
| University of Massachusetts Global (Online) | Aliso Viejo | Public | 27 |
| Alliant International University - San Diego (Online) | San Diego | Private for-profit | 26 |
| Northcentral University (Online) | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 18 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 13 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles | Public | 12 |
| Vista Adult School | Vista | Public | 12 |
| Citrus College | Glendora | Public | 10 |
| California Prestige University | Santa Fe Springs | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| La Sierra University | Riverside | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Menlo College | Atherton | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| University of Redlands | Redlands | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson | Public | 5 |
| Claremont Graduate University (Graduate only) | Claremont | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 3 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | Public | 2 |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Saybrook University (Graduate only) | Pasadena | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Scripps College | Claremont | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Simpson University | Redding | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | Public | 1 |
| Claremont McKenna College | Claremont | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Mount Saint Mary's University | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Human Resources Managers (SOC 11-3121).
Top skills
What Human Resources Managers earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Human Resources Management and Services programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Human Resources Management and Services degrees?+
University of Southern California (174 graduates a year), National University (86 graduates a year) and San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia (64 graduates a year) award the most Human Resources Management and Services degrees and certificates in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 38 California colleges offer Human Resources Management and Services.
Which Human Resources Management and Services program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia tops the list at $46,445. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Human Resources Managers earn in California?+
The average annual wage for Human Resources Managers in California is $191,920 (median $170,080), across about 27,450 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Human Resources Management and Services program?+
The Human Resources Management and Services program prepares students for effective management of people within organizations. This program focuses on policies and systems related to employee recruitment, training, performance appraisal,…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, writing, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Human Resources Managers?+
The national job outlook is about +5.0% growth with around 17,900 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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