Human Services · California

Human Services colleges in California

CampusPin lists 301 U.S. colleges in California that offer Human Services programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Human Services prepares you to help individuals, families, and communities reach social services, blending social-science coursework with case management, advocacy, and referral skills.

Schools in California that offer Human Services

Human Services programs in California: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 301 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

301

Public / private

21 / 29

Universities / 2-year

39 / 11

Cities represented

41

In-state tuition range

$1,104–$63,255

Median in-state tuition

$12,118

Lowest published in-state tuition

Barstow Community College

$1,104

Most selective

California Institute of Technology

3% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

California State University-Fullerton

41,793 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Human Services program

  • Foundations of human services and the principles of social service delivery across public and private agencies
  • Case management and the helping process, including intake, assessment, service planning, referral, and follow-up
  • Interviewing, active listening, and crisis-intervention skills for working with clients in distress
  • Human-services policy, planning, and program evaluation, including how services are funded and measured
  • Social-services law, ethics, confidentiality, and professional boundaries in client work
  • Foundational psychology and the social sciences applied to individual and community needs
  • Community resources, advocacy, and how to navigate housing, benefits, treatment, and support systems
  • Working with specific populations such as children and families, older adults, people with disabilities, or those facing addiction or homelessness
  • Documentation, record-keeping, and cultural competence when serving diverse communities

Where a Human Services degree can lead

  • Social and Human Service Assistant
  • Case Manager
  • Community Outreach Worker
  • Social and Community Service Manager
  • Community and Social Service Specialist
  • Program Coordinator

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 social and human service assistants median $45,120).

Human Services is a broad applied field that studies how to deliver social and support services to people in need and to the communities around them. Coursework draws on the social sciences and psychology and adds the practical foundations of service delivery: principles of social service, case management, interviewing and intake, human-services policy, program planning and evaluation, and the law and ethics that govern social-service administration. Students learn to assess client needs, build service and care plans, document cases, navigate community resources, and connect people to housing, benefits, treatment, and crisis support, often while studying particular populations such as children and families, older adults, people with disabilities, or those experiencing homelessness or addiction. Where Social Work trains practitioners toward clinical practice and licensure that can include diagnosis and therapy, Human Services concentrates on the generalist, frontline work of coordinating, advocating for, and connecting clients to the services they need.

Most students enter through an associate or bachelor's degree, and many programs include supervised field placements or internships in agencies, shelters, clinics, or community organizations. Human Services itself is not a single licensed profession, though some graduates pursue voluntary credentials such as the Human Services Board Certified Practitioner, and those who move toward counseling or clinical social work pursue separate, state-regulated licenses with their own degree and supervised-hours requirements. Graduates commonly work in public and private human-services agencies, nonprofits, government programs, and community organizations, often advancing into supervisory or program-management roles with experience or further education. A program is preparation, not a guarantee of a job, and pay, caseloads, and demand vary by employer, funding, region, and experience, with many roles tied to grant or public budgets that can shift over time.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of social and human service assistants, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $45,120 and projects employment to grow about 6.4% from 2024 to 2034; a high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Human Services in other states

Other majors in California

Find more Human Services schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 301+ Human Services programs in California by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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