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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $0-$30k) in California

9 Ranked Colleges
480 Degrees Awarded
$34,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 6,199 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 116th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $52,077 and had an average of $35,743 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 722 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,286 and $47,721 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 480 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 9 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public policy programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public policy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The public policy 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 Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 9 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Stanford Public Policy Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 126 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Policy at University of California - Berkeley

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree public policy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Public Policy Report

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of California - Irvine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 22 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Policy at University of California - Riverside

#6

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Policy at USC

#7

Mills College

Oakland, California

Mills College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Oakland, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

Mills also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at Mills College are $36,263, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Public Policy at Mills

#8

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, California
#8 in overall quality

California Lutheran University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

CLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California Lutheran University are $20,600.

Read full report on Public Policy at CLU

#9

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Pepperdine is located in Malibu, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Pepperdine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Pepperdine are $36,320, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Pepperdine Public Policy Report

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

Footnotes

  • *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.

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