Best Sociology Schools Near South San Francisco, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

South San Francisco, California has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs. South San Francisco has a population of about 64,487. Median household income is $135,909 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociologists at a median $134,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to South San Francisco

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology programs near South San Francisco, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South San Francisco city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from South San Francisco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Skyline College

San Bruno, CA 3.1 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,702
Avg net price $1,738/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 5.6 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of California-San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 7.9 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 8.7 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 15.7 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 17.4 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 20.0 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 20.8 miles from South San Francisco
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California sociology page.

Sociology Wages Near South San Francisco

South San Francisco is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists $134,770 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $116,583
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $132,930 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $114,991
Social and Human Service Assistants $57,580 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $49,810
Survey Researchers $110,540 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $95,623
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $72,020 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $62,301
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $123,250 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $106,618
Social Science Research Assistants $82,020 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $70,952
Social and Community Service Managers $93,410 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $80,804

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

South San Francisco at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 64,487 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $135,909 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 40.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other South San Francisco-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near South San Francisco, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near South San Francisco. The closest is Skyline College in San Bruno, CA (3.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of San Francisco (8.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near South San Francisco?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near South San Francisco are: Sociologists ($134,770), Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($132,930), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($123,250). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in San Bruno instead of South San Francisco?

San Bruno, CA is 2.1 miles from South San Francisco and has its own set of local sociology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is South San Francisco an affordable place to study sociology?

South San Francisco’s median household income of $135,909 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South San Francisco while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Sociology Programs

Other Programs Available in South San Francisco

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for South San Francisco:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Sociology Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)