2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
22
Ranked Colleges
1,883
Degrees Awarded
$15,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california public admin students with aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in California (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 309 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students 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 with aid.
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 California State University - Northridge
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students with aid list, CSUB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,454 for California Public Admin students with aid.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Bakersfield
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 129 degrees 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 yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,026 for california public admin students with aid.
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 full report on Public Administration at California State University - Dominguez Hills
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. 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.
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 yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for california public admin students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full CSULB Public Administration Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for california public admin students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Fresno State Public Administration Report
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 Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students with aid list, Cal State LA has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 66 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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.
Full California State University - Fullerton Public Administration Report
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 Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,107 for california public admin students with aid.
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 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%.
Read more about Public Administration at California State University - San Bernardino
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. San Diego State University 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 took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for california public admin students with aid per year to attend SDSU.
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%. 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 San Diego State University
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 20 students 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 estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,566 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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.
Full Stan State Public Administration Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 26 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,178 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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 California State University - Sacramento Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #12, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 66 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students with aid list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for california public admin students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Public Administration at California State University - East Bay
With a ranking of #13, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $16,542 for california public admin students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Public Administration at San Jose State University
University of California - Riverside came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California Public Admin students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Public Administration at UCR
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 21 ’s public admin 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 California State University - Chico is $16,218 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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
San Francisco State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.
SFSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Public Administration at SFSU
California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 53 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students with aid list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,719 for California Public Admin students with aid per year to attend Cal Baptist.
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
University of Southern California landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.
USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,569 for California Public Admin students with aid per year to attend University of Southern California.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 USC Public Administration Report
University of La Verne landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend ULV is $28,260 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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
National University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 108 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students with aid list, National University has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,722 for california public admin students with aid per year to attend National University.
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 National University
With a ranking of #22, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USFCA is $40,053 for California Public Admin students with aid.
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 University of San Francisco Public Administration Report
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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
- *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.
Credits
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