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2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

17 Ranked Colleges
2,522 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Health is the 27th most popular major in the country with 38,020 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, public health graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $41,740 and had an average of $35,895 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,542 public health graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,916 and $39,058 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,522 public health graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in public health. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public health programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public health program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Health (Income $30-$48k) in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 228 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Public Health Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 195 bachelors’s public health degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at California State University - Los Angeles

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 501 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Health at UC Irvine

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #4 spot on the list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 358 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at CSUN

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Public Health Report

California State University - Fresno ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Fresno State Public Health Report

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 250 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSD.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at UCSD

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#8 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SDSU Public Health Report

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 221 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at San Jose State

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 104 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Health at University of Southern California

University of California - Merced came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 122 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at UC Merced

#11 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Public Health Report

#13

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also made our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $18,949 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Public Health at Santa Clara University

#14

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#10 in overall quality

California Baptist University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 37 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,716 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Baptist University Public Health Report

#15

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California

Dominican University of California ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in San Rafael, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k list, DUofC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,338 for california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DUofC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Health at DUofC

#16

Chapman University

Orange, California

Chapman University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.

Chapman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $31,826 for california bachelor’s degree public health students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at Chapman

#17

Fremont College

Cerritos, California

Fremont College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cerritos, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Fremont College also made our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $22,181 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fremont College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fremont College Public Health Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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