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2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Policy in California

16 Colleges in California
480 Master's Degrees
$60,440 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Policy is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #52 most popular master's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in California to determine which ones were the most popular for public policy students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 480 master's degrees in public policy to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Policy School for Your Master's Degree

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Policy in California The public policy master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. We created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Public Policy in California ranking to make it a little easier to choose the right one for you.

Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of public policy students usually has them for a reason. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.

More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Policy
Doctor's Degrees in Public Policy
Overall Popularity in Public Policy

We have also developed a number of other rankings to help guide you in your decision-making process. To begin with, if this is not the degree level you are most interested in, you may want to check out one of the others noted above. If you would prefer to limit your search to a specific state or region of the county, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for public policy.

The following list ranks the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in public policy.

10 Most Well Attended Schools for Public Policy Students Working on Their Master's

1
126 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Best Quality In CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a master's degree in public policy. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were approximately 126 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.

Public Policy master's degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of about $15,560 above the typical earnings of public policy graduates.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of California - Berkeley

2
96 Annual Master's Degrees
#3 Best Quality In CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in public policy has to take a look at University of Southern California. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were approximately 96 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's students who receive their degree from the public policy program earn about $55,000 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of Southern California

3
58 Annual Master's Degrees
#4 Best Quality In CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

University of California - Los Angeles is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in public policy. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were about 58 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.

After graduating, public policy master's recipients usually earn around $59,300 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of California - Los Angeles

4
44 Annual Master's Degrees
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

University of California - San Diego is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting a master's degree in public policy. UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla.

There were about 44 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of California - San Diego

5
26 Annual Master's Degrees
#5 Best Quality In CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #5 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were roughly 26 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at Pepperdine in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's students who receive their degree from the public policy program make about $49,300 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in public policy from Pepperdine University

6
23 Annual Master's Degrees
#7 Best Quality In CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the midsize city of Thousand Oaks, CLU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #7 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were roughly 23 public policy students who graduated with this degree at CLU in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in public policy from California Lutheran University

6
23 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Best Quality In CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were approximately 23 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in public policy from Stanford University

8
22 Annual Master's Degrees
#6 Best Quality In CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were about 22 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of California - Irvine

8
22 Annual Master's Degrees
#9 Best Quality In CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #9 in quality for master's degrees in public policy in California.

There were roughly 22 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of California - Riverside

10
13 Annual Master's Degrees
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the city of San Francisco, UCSF is a public university with a small student population.

There were about 13 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UCSF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of California - San Francisco

Best Public Policy Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Most Popular Public Policy Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Washington18429
Oregon15134
Nevada1000

View All Rankings >

Public Policy is one of 5 different types of Public Administration & Social Service programs to choose from.

Public Policy Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis412
Other Public Policy Analysis42
Health Policy Analysis26

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Social Work3,294
Public Administration1,497
Human Services55
Other Public Administration21
Community Organization & Advocacy4

Notes and References

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