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2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

57 Ranked Colleges
3,944 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 97,666 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 12,885 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,128 and $33,784 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,944 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 57 colleges that offered a degree in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Stanford

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 224 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Public Administration & Social Service Report

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 90 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Berkeley

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 33 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,850 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Public Administration & Social Service at UW Seattle

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 119 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $3,264 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno State

California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 304 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Public Administration & Social Service Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,455 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 CSUDH Public Administration & Social Service Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSULB Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $5,077 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - San Bernardino

#10

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Heritage University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Heritage University is a small school located in Toppenish, Washington that handed out 59 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, Heritage University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Heritage University is $9,633 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Heritage University

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Public Administration & Social Service Report

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 204 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

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 student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 San Diego State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#13

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#19 in overall quality

Eastern Washington University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cheney, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 64 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

EWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend EWU is $8,473 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at EWU

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 244 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Public Administration & Social Service Report

#11 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

UNLV also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $9,378 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNLV

#4 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Nevada - Reno is a large school located in Reno, Nevada that handed out 95 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $11,587 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nevada - Reno.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Nevada - Reno

#17

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UAF is a public institution located in Fairbanks, Alaska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UAF is $7,133 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UAF Public Administration & Social Service Report

#18

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 96 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 - Riverside Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 143 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUMB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,688 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUMB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Monterey Bay

#20

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#15 in overall quality

Western Washington University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

WWU also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $9,743 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Western Washington University

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,123 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at SFSU

#22

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,940 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full San Jose State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#23

University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

University of Alaska Anchorage ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UAA is a public institution located in Anchorage, Alaska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Alaska Anchorage is $9,986 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UAA Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $9,334 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Wazzu Public Administration & Social Service Report

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - East Bay

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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

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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