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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

55 Ranked Colleges
3,944 Degrees Awarded
$8,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 55 colleges that offer 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 55 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees 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 $1,145 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Stanford Public Administration & Social Service Report

#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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $2,117 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles 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 $30-$48k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,130 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UC 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 $30-$48k. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,467 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UW Seattle

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 119 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 $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $3,731 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #6 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 $30-$48k ranking. Carson, 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 163 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $3,115 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Public Administration & Social Service Report

California State University - Fullerton 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 304 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Public Administration & Social Service Report

#8

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington
#20 in overall quality

Heritage University 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 $30-$48k ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Heritage University, the school also landed the #20 spot 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 $10,065 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach 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 $30-$48k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

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

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#24 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $5,869 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 41 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 $30-$48k 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 CSUN is $6,883 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at CSUN

#12

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#19 in overall quality

Eastern Washington 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 $30-$48k list. Eastern Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Cheney, Washington. It awarded 64 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 $30-$48k list, EWU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,821 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Washington University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Eastern Washington University

#11 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,880 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #14 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 $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 244 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#4 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno 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 $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,716 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNR.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UNR

#16

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

San Diego State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 204 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#17

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCR Public Administration & Social Service Report

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, 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 $30-$48k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $12,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at SFSU

#19

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Western Washington 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 $30-$48k list. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 90 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 $30-$48k list, WWU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $11,228 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Western Washington University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 143 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $9,567 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at CSUMB

#21

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fairbanks, Alaska, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Alaska Fairbanks is $7,341 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Alaska Fairbanks

#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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. San Jose State University 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.

San Jose State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $11,752 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

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

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 46 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full USC Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24

University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

University of Alaska Anchorage 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Anchorage, Alaska, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UAA is $12,663 for far western us region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UAA Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Wazzu is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,337 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington State University.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Wazzu

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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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