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2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

21 Ranked Colleges
1,883 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,905 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,883 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,932 and $27,676 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 21 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 309 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUN

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Administration at California State University - Long Beach

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,238 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CSUB Public Administration Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,859 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Fresno

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 129 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUDH, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,657 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Dominguez Hills

6

California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,590 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal State Fullerton Public Administration Report

7

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 39 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,887 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Public Administration Report

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 172 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,169 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Public Administration Report

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 164 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at USC

10

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,985 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - San Bernardino

11

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 Administration at California State University - Stanislaus

12

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 26 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,163 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Sacramento

13

California State University - East Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $9,975 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State East Bay Public Administration Report

14

University of California - Riverside ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UCR also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $6,810 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at University of California - Riverside

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #15, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $12,158 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at San Jose State University

16

California State University - Chico landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,754 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Chico State

17
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $10,705 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full SFSU Public Administration Report

18
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,769 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Baptist University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Administration at California Baptist University

19
20
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,256 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of La Verne.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of La Verne

21
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 80 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $32,023 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of San Francisco

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