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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in California

24 Ranked Colleges
1,497 Degrees Awarded
$19,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Public Administration is the 47th most popular major in the country with 17,269 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 1,888 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,497 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration 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 administration program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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 Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 24 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in California

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #1 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581.

Read more about Public Administration at Fresno State

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

CSUDH also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#22 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Public Administration at Cal State LA

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 226 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Northridge

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 125 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

CSULB also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Long Beach

#11 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Fullerton

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540.

Read full report on Public Administration at Stan State

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 46 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658.

Full SDSU Public Administration Report

#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 84 students in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUSB are $17,936, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Public Administration at CSUSB

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 38 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Bakersfield

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Sacramento are $18,356.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Sacramento

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 175 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Southern California Public Administration Report

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 41 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SFSU are $17,944, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Public Administration at San Francisco State University

#17 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 84 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State East Bay are $17,828.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - East Bay

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State are $18,790, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Public Administration at San Jose State University

#25 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal Poly Pomona are $18,377, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Public Administration Report

California State University - Chico ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Chico State are $18,802, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Chico State Public Administration Report

#18

National University

La Jolla, California
#9 in overall quality

National University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 96 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, National University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at National University are $15,480, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Administration at National University

#19

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#8 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 30 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal Baptist are $14,140.

Read full report on Public Administration at Cal Baptist

#20 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a large private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 58 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Arizona Global Campus are $14,664, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#21

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, California
#23 in overall quality

Notre Dame de Namur University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Belmont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NDNU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at NDNU are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Administration at NDNU

#22

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#12 in overall quality

Brandman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 41 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandman, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brandman are $12,540, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Administration at Brandman

#23

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#2 in overall quality

University of San Francisco landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 62 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of San Francisco are $26,710, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full USFCA Public Administration Report

#24

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. ULV is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of La Verne are $14,526.

Full University of La Verne Public Administration 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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