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2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k) in California

21 Ranked Colleges
1,883 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. 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 $48-$75k” 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.

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.

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The public admin school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Bakersfield landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,102 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.

Read full report on Public Administration at CSUB

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 309 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,780 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at CSUN

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 131 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $11,189 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at CSULB

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $8,030 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Public Administration Report

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 $48-$75k. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 129 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUDH has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $6,333 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

6

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also took the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,700 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on 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 $48-$75k ranking. Cal State 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.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $9,017 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

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

8

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,854 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full CSUSB Public Administration Report

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.

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 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 San Diego State University

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 164 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $22,826 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Administration at USC

11

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Stan State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,976 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stan State.

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 full report on Public Administration at Stan State

12

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at Sac State

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 $48-$75k list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UCR also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $11,126 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full UCR Public Administration Report

14

California State University - East Bay landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Cal State East Bay

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

San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $17,338 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State Public Administration Report

16

California State University - Chico came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,738 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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 $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 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. It costs about $16,065 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

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%.

Full SFSU Public Administration Report

18
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $25,553 for california public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California Baptist University Public Administration Report

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

With a ranking of #20, University of La Verne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. ULV is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ULV also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking.

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 University of La Verne

21
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.

USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $36,818 for California Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at USFCA

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