2026 Best Value Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions Schools in California
[Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions](/majors/social-services-public-administration/other-social-services-public-administration/public-administration-and-social-service-professions-other/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for other public administration & social service professions students.
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2026 Best Value Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other public administration & social service professions, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions Schools
Leading the list is San Diego City College, our #1 best value for other public administration & social service professions in California. Set in the city of San Diego, San Diego City College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,146, while out-of-state students pay about $10,002. Students borrow a median of $9,514 to complete the other public administration & social service professions program here. Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions graduates of San Diego City College earn a median of $26,218 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,514 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in other public administration & social service professions will find it at University Of California Davis, which ranked #2. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,804, while out-of-state students pay about $47,692. Students borrow a median of $14,171 to complete the other public administration & social service professions program here. Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $44,593 early in their careers. Set against $14,171 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in other public administration & social service professions will find it at University Of Southern California, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $71,647. Students borrow a median of $15,625 to complete the other public administration & social service professions program here. Other Public Administration & Social Service Professions graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of $163,956 early in their careers. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 10%.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
