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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in California

22 Ranked Colleges
1,497 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 17,269 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 47th most popular in the United States.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 22 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in California

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed 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 full report on Public Administration at Fresno State

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

CSUDH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 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 CSUDH are $17,884.

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

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 24 masters’s public admin degrees 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.

Full Cal State LA Public Administration Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’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 masters’s public admin degrees to 226 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Northridge

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 125 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #5 rank 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 CSULB are $17,784.

Full California State University - Long Beach Public Administration Report

#11 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 21 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #11 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 State Fullerton are $17,892.

Full Cal State Fullerton Public Administration Report

#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 $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Stanislaus

#19 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 84 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSB has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - San Bernardino

#9

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 175 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at USC

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUB are $18,437, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Public Administration Report

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Public Administration at SDSU

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 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 Sac State are $18,356.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Sacramento

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 41 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 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 SFSU are $17,944.

Read full report on Public Administration at San Francisco State University

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State East Bay are $17,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Cal State East Bay Public Administration Report

#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 $30-$48k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, San Jose State has also earned the #18 rank 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 San Jose State University are $18,790.

Read full report on Public Administration at San Jose State

#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 $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at Cal Poly Pomona

California State University - Chico came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 7 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #0 rank 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 - Chico are $18,802.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Chico

#18

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#8 in overall quality

California Baptist University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Baptist University are $14,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at California Baptist University

#19

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Notre Dame de Namur University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Belmont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, NDNU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame de Namur University are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at Notre Dame de Namur University

#20 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 58 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 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 UAGC are $14,664.

Read more about Public Administration at UAGC

#21

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#2 in overall quality

University of San Francisco came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 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 USFCA are $26,710, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Public Administration at USFCA

#22

University of La Verne

La Verne, California
#14 in overall quality

University of La Verne ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of La Verne is a medium-sized school located in La Verne, California that handed out 26 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

ULV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at ULV are $14,526, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Administration at ULV

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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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