2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public health program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Public Health Schools
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” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Health in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 358 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students list, CSUN has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree public health students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 list, San Jose State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree public health students per year to attend San Jose State.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 228 students 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. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree public health students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 96%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Public Health Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Chico. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students per year to attend Chico State.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 501 bachelors’s public health degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree public health students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students per year to attend Cal State LA.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 250 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students list, UCSD has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree public health students.
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%.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree public health students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
California State University - Fresno came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
Fresno State also made our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Diego State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree public health students per year to attend San Diego State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.
Read full report on Public Health at San Diego State University
National University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. National University is located in La Jolla, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s public health degrees to qualified students.
National University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Merced landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 122 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public health students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University of California - Merced
California Baptist University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s public health degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist also made our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $24,707 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students.
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%.
With a ranking of #14, Dominican University of California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Rafael, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
DUofC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $32,978 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students per year to attend DUofC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Dominican University of California
Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public health students in 2019-2020.
SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SCU is $38,327 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #16, Chapman University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 84 bachelors’s public health degrees in 2019-2020.
Chapman also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students.
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%.
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Health Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public health degrees to 104 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public health students list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Health Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Health students per year to attend University of Southern California.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Health at University of Southern California
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Health in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Health
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Health Sciences & Services
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Health Sciences & Services in California
Dental Support Services
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Dental Support Services in California
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services in California
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science in California
Mental & Social Health Services
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mental & Social Health Services in California
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions in California
Alternative Medicine & Systems
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Alternative Medicine & Systems in California
Other Health Professions
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Health Professions in California
Communication Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Communication Sciences in California
Health & Medical Administrative Services
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Health & Medical Administrative Services in California
Allied Health Professions
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Allied Health Professions in California
Health/Medical Prep Programs
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Health/Medical Prep Programs in California
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences in California
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services in California
Nursing
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Nursing in California
Switch to a More Focused Major
General Public Health
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Public Health in California
Health/Medical Physics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Health/Medical Physics in California
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Community Health and Preventive Medicine in California
Health Services Administration
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Health Services Administration in California
Other Public Health
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Public Health in California
Environmental Health
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Health in California
Public Health Education and Promotion
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health Education and Promotion in California
International Public Health/International Health
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for International Public Health/International Health in California
Behavioral Aspects of Health
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Behavioral Aspects of Health in California
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Public Health Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Public Health students in the state of California
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health in California
Public Health students in California
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Public Health Schools
Public Health students in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health (Income $0-$30k) in California
Public Health students with family income less than $30k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health (Income $48-$75k) in California
Public Health students with family income $48-$75k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health (Income Over $110k) in California
Public Health students with family income exceeding $110k in California
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Public Health Graduates in California
Public Health students in California
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health in California
Public Health students in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health in California (With Aid)
Public Health students getting aid in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health (Income $30-$48k) in California
Public Health students with family income $30-$48k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health (Income $75-$110k) in California
Public Health students with family income $75-$110k in California
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Health in California
Public Health students in California
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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Article 25 Flickr.
Featured Public Health Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |