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2024 Best Value Colleges for Public Health in California

34 Ranked Colleges
5,117 Degrees Awarded
$14,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Health Schools in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Health Schools in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 40,596 people earned their degree in public health, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public health graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,158 and had an average of $27,396 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,117 public health graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,454 and $19,528 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Health Schools in California” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public health. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public health programs, but they also 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.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Health Schools in California” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Health Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Health Schools in California.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Health in California

1

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 203 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $15,023 for California Public Health students per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 97%.

Read full report on Public Health at UCLA

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 492 students in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,523 for California Public Health students per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Public Health Report

3

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 in California. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 477 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California Public Health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UC Berkeley Public Health Report

4

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 350 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,240 for California Public Health students per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Public Health Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Francisco. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this small public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

UCSF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Public Health at UCSF

6
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 298 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $16,542 for california public health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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.

Read more about Public Health at San Jose State

7

West Coast University - Orange County landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit institution located in Anaheim, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public health students list, West Coast University - Orange County has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Coast University - Orange County is $37,550 for California Public Health students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full West Coast University - Orange County Public Health Report

8

University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 526 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for California Public Health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Public Health at UC Irvine

9

California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 325 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for california public health students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Public Health Report

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 225 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $13,845 for California Public Health students per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 90%.

Read full report on Public Health at San Diego State University

11

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public health students list, UC Davis has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Public Health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Davis Public Health Report

12

California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,178 for california public health students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Public Health Report

13

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking, coming in at #13. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 56 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,218 for California Public Health students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at Chico State

14

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 29 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,566 for california public health students per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at Stan State

15

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california public health students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for california public health students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

16

California State University - Fresno came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for California Public Health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Public Health Report

17

California State University - San Marcos came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 50 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,218 for california public health students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Public Health at California State University - San Marcos

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for California Public Health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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%.

Read full report on Public Health at California State University - Long Beach

19
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 226 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

National University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for National University is $20,722 for california public health students.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Health at National University

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,107 for California Public Health students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 California State University - San Bernardino

21

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking, coming in at #21. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 168 students in 2020-2021.

UC Merced also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $13,691 for california public health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at UC Merced

22
Loma Linda University crest
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California

Loma Linda University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Loma Linda, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public health students list, Loma Linda University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Loma Linda University Public Health Report

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #23, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 21 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for California Public Health students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Health at San Francisco State University

24
TUC crest
Touro University California
Vallejo, California

Touro University California came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California ranking. This small school is located in Vallejo, California, and it awarded 67 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

TUC also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #15.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full TUC Public Health Report

25
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

With a ranking of #25, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Public Health Schools in California list. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $26,719 for California Public Health students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at Cal Baptist

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