Best Social Science Research Assistant programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research.
210 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 67,123 people a year. The job pays a median of $60,250 in California across about 5,300 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
14 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101In California → | 27,882 | 41.5% | 186 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1101In California → | 11,291 | 16.8% | 178 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 3 | Social Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.0101In California → | 7,547 | 11.2% | 64 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 4 | CIP 45.1001In California → | 7,165 | 10.7% | 170 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 5 | CIP 45.0601In California → | 6,490 | 9.7% | 126 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 6 | CIP 45.0603In California → | 4,834 | 7.2% | 34 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 7 | Behavioral Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1701In California → | 817 | 1.2% | 16 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 8 | CIP 44.0501In California → | 735 | 1.1% | 15 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 9 | CIP 03.0204In California → | 166 | 0.2% | 1 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 10 | CIP 45.0604In California → | 110 | 0.2% | 3 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 11 | CIP 44.0503In California → | 37 | 0.1% | 4 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 12 | CIP 44.0504In California → | 24 | 0.0% | 2 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 13 | CIP 45.1004In California → | 24 | 0.0% | 3 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 14 | CIP 45.0602In California → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 78 of the 210 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 3,350 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $62,091 | 93% | — | 9% |
| 2 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,738 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $80,446 | 93% | — | 11% |
| 3 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 1,643 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $66,334 | 83% | — | 33% |
| 4 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,600 | Psychology, General | $28,603 | 57% | — | 93% |
| 5 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,476 | Psychology, General | $27,965 | 70% | — | 91% |
| 6 | East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,420 | Social Sciences, General | $22,947 | 37% | — | — |
| 7 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,357 | Psychology, General | $29,346 | 76% | — | 36% |
| 8 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,265 | Psychology, General | $27,511 | 69% | — | 46% |
| 9 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,206 | Political Science and Government, General | $31,976 | 87% | — | 29% |
| 10 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,155 | Psychology, General | $32,603 | 56% | — | 94% |
| 11 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 1,127 | Psychology, General | $29,144 | 86% | — | 27% |
| 12 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,010 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $50,295 | 86% | — | 42% |
| 13 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 997 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $57,060 | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 14 | Sierra College Rocklin, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 937 | Social Sciences, General | $30,103 | 42% | — | — |
| 15 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 7 feeder programs | 914 | Psychology, General | — | 69% | — | 85% |
| 16 | University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 903 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $37,149 | 76% | — | 76% |
| 17 | College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 868 | Social Sciences, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 18 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 839 | Behavioral Sciences | $28,709 | 75% | — | 66% |
| 19 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 834 | Psychology, General | $16,894 | 45% | — | — |
| 20 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 821 | Psychology, General | $37,567 | 53% | — | 91% |
| 21 | California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 820 | Psychology, General | $28,189 | 55% | — | 94% |
| 22 | California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 788 | Psychology, General | $27,557 | 57% | — | 95% |
| 23 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 760 | Economics, General | — | 36% | — | — |
| 24 | California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 738 | Psychology, General | $29,727 | 43% | — | 93% |
| 25 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 692 | Psychology, General | $34,803 | 50% | — | 96% |
All 210 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Public | 3,350 | 6 |
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | Public | 1,738 | 7 |
| University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Public | 1,643 | 3 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 1,600 | 4 |
| California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton | Public | 1,476 | 6 |
| East Los Angeles College | Monterey Park | Public | 1,420 | 5 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | Public | 1,357 | 7 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 1,265 | 5 |
| University of California - Irvine | Irvine | Public | 1,206 | 7 |
| California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento | Public | 1,155 | 6 |
| University of California - San Diego | La Jolla | Public | 1,127 | 5 |
| University of California - Davis | Davis | Public | 1,010 | 4 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 997 | 9 |
| Sierra College | Rocklin | Public | 937 | 5 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 914 | 7 |
What social science research assistants earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $61,990. California pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: California employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Social Science Research Assistants page.
How to become a Social Science Research Assistant
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Social Science Research Assistants19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0204Environmental/Natural Resource Economics
- 30.1701Behavioral Sciences
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 42.0101Psychology, General
- 42.2708Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology
- 44.0501Public Policy Analysis, General
- 44.0502Education Policy Analysis
- 44.0503Health Policy Analysis
- 44.0504International Policy Analysis
- 45.0101Social Sciences, General
- 45.0103Survey Research/Methodology
- 45.0601Economics, General
- 45.0602Applied Economics
- 45.0603Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
- 45.0604Development Economics and International Development
- 45.1001Political Science and Government, General
- 45.1004Political Economy
- 45.1101Sociology, General
- 45.1102Applied/Public Sociology
Common questions
Answers for people weighing social science research assistants programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Social Science Research Assistant?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Psychology, General, which awarded 27,882 degrees in California in 2024-25, 41.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Social Science Research Assistant?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Economics, Sociology, Social Sciences, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 67,123 people a year in California.
How much do social science research assistants earn in California?+
The median is $60,250 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 2.8% below the U.S. median of $61,990. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for social science research assistants growing?+
BLS projects a +4.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
210 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 14 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do social science research assistants work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Assistant, Research Associate, Social Research Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4061.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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