2023 Best Public Policy Colleges for Veterans in California
9
Ranked Colleges
798
Degrees Awarded
$39,300
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 6,430 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $21,866 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 798 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $52,313 and $22,744 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer a degree in public policy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public policy programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the public policy program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy”.
Top 9 Best Public Policy Colleges for Veterans in California
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy 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 ’s public policy degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, USC supports 46,287 students, and 1,311 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 862 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,487. To help with additional expenses, 388 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 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 University of Southern California Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 44,589 students enrolled at University of California - Los Angeles, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 UCLA Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 14 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 36,303 students enrolled at UC Irvine were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,620. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Full University of California - Irvine Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 109 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 26,434 students enrolled at University of California - Riverside were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,182. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of California - Riverside 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UCR]](/colleges/university-of-california-riverside/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Lutheran University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy list. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 30 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CLU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,027 students enrolled at California Lutheran University, 166 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,342. To help with additional expenses, 37 students received funds 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at CLU]](/colleges/california-lutheran-university/student-life/veterans/)
Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy ranking. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 2 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
MSMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 2,745 students enrolled at Mount Saint Mary’s University were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,275. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #7, Pepperdine University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy list. Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Malibu, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pepperdine also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Pepperdine supports 9,554 students, and 458 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 288 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,329. In addition to receiving other benefits, 180 students qualified for 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Pepperdine]](/colleges/pepperdine-university/student-life/veterans/)
Loma Linda University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy ranking. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Loma Linda, California. It awarded 2 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loma Linda University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,468 students enrolled at Loma Linda University, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Loma Linda University Veteran Student Life Report
Mills College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Public Policy list. Mills College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mills, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 15 of the 961 students enrolled at Mills College were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,540. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Full Mills Veteran Student Life 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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