College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

21 Ranked Colleges
1,883 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $6,046 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUB

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 309 students in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,103 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUN

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $4,655 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fresno Public Administration Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

CSUDH also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,329 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Public Administration Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,573 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at CSULB

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $2,701 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Los Angeles

7

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

8

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 81 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $6,613 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Public Administration Report

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 172 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $9,274 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at SDSU

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,903 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at Stan State

11
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 164 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,345 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at USC

12

California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 26 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,055 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Public Administration Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,193 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 University of California - Riverside

13

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. 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 also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $11,025 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

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

San Jose State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,378 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at San Jose State

16

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $13,040 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Administration at California State University - Chico

17
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #17, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 32 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,862 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at SFSU

18
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $22,162 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Administration at Cal Baptist

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

University of La Verne landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Verne, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

ULV also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of La Verne is $29,675 for California Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Public Administration at ULV

21
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #21, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 80 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

USFCA also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $31,994 for california public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 USFCA

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options