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2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

21 Ranked Colleges
1,469 Degrees Awarded
$62,496 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master's

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s” 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 a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s”.

Top 21 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #1 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 164 students in 2020-2021.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 46,287 students enrolled at University of Southern California, 1,311 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,487. On top of their other funding sources, 388 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Southern California offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

2
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 66 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, SDSU supports 36,334 students, and 1,433 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 853 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SDSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden Gate University - San Francisco. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 29 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Golden Gate University - San Francisco also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7.Of the 2,472 students enrolled at Golden Gate University - San Francisco, 1,009 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 816 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,556. To help with additional expenses, 75 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Golden Gate University - San Francisco]](/colleges/golden-gate-university-san-francisco/student-life/veterans/)

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, CSULB has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 822 of the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB were GI Bill® students, of which 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,845. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. CSULB does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 - Long Beach Veteran Student Life Report

5

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 242 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 40,381 students enrolled at CSUN, 680 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 336 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,745. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

6
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

National University also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 18,070 students enrolled at National University were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

7
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #7, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 78 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 10,068 students enrolled at USFCA, 6 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,232. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full University of San Francisco Veteran Student Life Report

8
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. ULV is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 23 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

ULV also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15.Of the 6,983 students enrolled at University of La Verne, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,536. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 ULV Veteran Student Life Report

9
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. California Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Baptist, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 532 of the 11,317 students enrolled at California Baptist University were GI Bill® students, of which 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,716. To help with additional expenses, 162 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Cal Baptist Veteran Student Life Report

10
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #10, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 16 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, San Jose State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 36,208 students enrolled at San Jose State, 660 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 384 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,909. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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…

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 42,051 students enrolled at California State University - Fullerton, 748 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 342 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,729. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 veteran student life at California State University - Fullerton]](/colleges/california-state-university-fullerton/student-life/veterans/)

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 26 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 32,293 students enrolled at Sac State, 34 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,555. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Sac State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Sac State]](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento/student-life/veterans/)

13
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #13, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, San Francisco State University supports 27,349 students, and 950 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 536 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,581. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full SFSU Veteran Student Life Report

14

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 82 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, CSUDH has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Dominguez Hills supports 18,687 students, and 267 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,463. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at CSUDH]](/colleges/california-state-university-dominguez-hills/student-life/veterans/)

15

California State University - Fresno came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 21 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Fresno State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Fresno supports 25,497 students, and 471 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 211 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,324. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 39 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 26,745 students enrolled at Cal State LA, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,700. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Cal State LA]](/colleges/california-state-university-los-angeles/student-life/veterans/)

17

With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 400 of the 19,689 students enrolled at CSUSB were GI Bill® students, of which 170 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,274. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at California State University - San Bernardino]](/colleges/california-state-university-san-bernardino/student-life/veterans/)

18

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stan State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 11,163 students enrolled at Stan State, 163 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,287. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Stan State]](/colleges/california-state-university-stanislaus/student-life/veterans/)

19

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, CSUB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 11,745 students enrolled at California State University - Bakersfield, 210 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 103 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,437. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at CSUB]](/colleges/california-state-university-bakersfield/student-life/veterans/)

20

California State University - East Bay ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - East Bay supports 16,253 students, and 32 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 16 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,956. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - East Bay does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

21

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #21. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monterey, California. It awarded 17 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Middlebury Institute has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 36 of the 686 students enrolled at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey were GI Bill® students, of which 34 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,444. During this same period, 24 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Middlebury Institute]](/colleges/monterey-institute-of-international-studies/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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