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2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income Over $110k) in California

21 Ranked Colleges
1,883 Degrees Awarded
$23,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” 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. 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.

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Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income Over $110k) in California

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k 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.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,454 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUB

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 309 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about 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 Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. California State University - Long Beach 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 $10,054 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at CSULB

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.

CSUDH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,026 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUDH

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $6,230 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read full report on Public Administration at Fresno State

6

California State University - Fullerton came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,003 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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%. 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 came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 39 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 172 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $13,845 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full SDSU Public Administration Report

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. 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.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make more than $110k list, CSUSB has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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

10

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,566 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 26 students 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full Sac State Public Administration Report

12

California State University - East Bay landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 66 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,298 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

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 full report on Public Administration at California State University - East Bay

13
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make more than $110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at San Jose State University

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

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 $16,218 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full Chico State Public Administration Report

15

16
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #16. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make more than $110k list, SFSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at SFSU

17
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Riverside, 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 53 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,719 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Cal Baptist.

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 California Baptist University

18

University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 11 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for California Public Admin students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at UCR

19
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne ranked #19 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. 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.

ULV also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $28,260 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend ULV.

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 full report on Public Administration at ULV

20
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. USFCA is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $40,053 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full USFCA Public Administration Report

21
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 164 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make more than $110k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $32,569 for california public admin students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 more about Public Administration at USC

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