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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $75-$110k) in California

32 Ranked Colleges
2,671 Degrees Awarded
$17,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

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 California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 32 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k list, Stanford has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $10,631 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. 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%. 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at Stanford University

#7 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 California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 224 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $9,576 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

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

#10 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 #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

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

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fullerton, 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 304 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $12,916 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

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

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 90 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees 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 California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $21,401 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 University of California - Berkeley

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $10,904 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 CSUDH 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 $75-$110k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $14,544 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#15 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $13,611 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $15,346 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#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 $75-$110k ranking. Sac State 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $15,812 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Sac State Public Administration & Social Service Report

#11

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

With a ranking of #11, University of Phoenix - California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

Full University of Phoenix - California Public Administration & Social Service Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUMB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,719 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUMB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at CSUMB

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#6 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,027 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

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

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 204 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $18,766 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at SDSU

#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 $75-$110k list. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $19,805 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

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

#16

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 96 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $18,395 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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 California - Riverside

#17

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#22 in overall quality

Fresno Pacific University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Fresno, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 79 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k list, Fresno Pacific has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno Pacific University is $20,328 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Fresno Pacific Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $17,710 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 87 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,444 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at Chico State

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUB.

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

#21

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $20,170 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Humboldt State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#17 in overall quality

La Sierra University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Riverside, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at La Sierra, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,582 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend La Sierra University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at La Sierra

#23

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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.

It costs about $22,739 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#24

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k 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 $30,858 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USC Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $26,285 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at California Baptist University

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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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