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2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

33 Ranked Colleges
9,390 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 9,390 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,986 and $22,122 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered a degree in public administration and social service. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration and social service programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 311 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Berkeley

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 347 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,887 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Los Angeles

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 205 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno State

4

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 469 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $4,590 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

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

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 223 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Los Angeles

6

California State University - Long Beach landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 432 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for california 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 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at CSULB

7
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 1,466 students in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $17,287 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

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

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 236 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 85%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at CSUSB

9

California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 457 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Northridge

10

California State University - Sacramento came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 336 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,163 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

11
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 375 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for california 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 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SDSU

12

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 134 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,238 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

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

13

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 338 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,657 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Dominguez Hills

14
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno City College is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 60 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,556 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno City College.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno City College

15

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 107 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 - Stanislaus

16

University of California - Riverside landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $6,810 for california 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UCR

17
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 227 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,158 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at San Jose State University

18
San Diego City College crest
San Diego City College
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #18, San Diego City College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego City College is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,059 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego City College.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at San Diego City College

19

California State University - East Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $9,975 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Cal State East Bay

20

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 157 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUMB has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,192 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Public Administration & Social Service Report

21

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 194 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,754 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Chico State

22
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 210 students in 2020-2021.

Fresno Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,544 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno Pacific.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno Pacific

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,705 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at San Francisco State University

24

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for California Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Santa Cruz

25
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 113 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,473 for california public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Humboldt State University

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