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2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

33 Ranked Colleges
2,671 Degrees Awarded
$9,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in California 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. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 97,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 California, there were 9,336 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,497 and $34,561 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,671 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered a degree in public administration and social service. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration and social service programs, but they also 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

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 “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california 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 California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

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 California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,130 for california 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 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

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the list. Fresno, 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 119 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 163 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Long Beach

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at CSUSB

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,883 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for california 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 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Sac State

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 204 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for california 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 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 96 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $9,151 for California 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 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UCR

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#6 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#13 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 California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. CSUMB is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUMB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,567 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at CSUMB

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#5 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 77 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State Public Administration & Social Service Report

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - 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.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Cal State East Bay

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico, 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 87 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for California 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

University of Phoenix - California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

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

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at CSUB

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#22

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,775 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

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

#23

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno Pacific University is a small school located in Fresno, California that handed out 79 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $14,346 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno Pacific University.

Full Fresno Pacific Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#17 in overall quality

La Sierra University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Sierra University is a small school located in Riverside, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

La Sierra did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for La Sierra University is $21,494 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at La Sierra

#25

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,716 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Baptist University.

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 Baptist University Public Administration & Social Service 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).
  • 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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