College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

30 Ranked Colleges
5,117 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

In 2020-2021, 40,596 people earned their degree in public health, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public health graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,158 and had an average of $27,396 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 5,117 public health graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,454 and $19,528 respectively.

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

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public health program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Health Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Health Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Health (Income $0-$30k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 32 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,233 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Health at Stanford

2

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 477 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Public Health at University of California - Berkeley

3

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 203 degrees to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 more about Public Health at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 221 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,887 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Public Health at California State University - Los Angeles

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 325 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Health at Cal State Fullerton

6

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 526 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Public Health Report

7

University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 350 degrees to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 more about Public Health at University of California - San Diego

8

California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 492 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,266 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Public Health Report

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 225 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Health at SDSU

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 29 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Health at Stan State

11
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 308 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Health at University of Southern California

12

California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 139 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State Public Health Report

13

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,859 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Fresno State Public Health Report

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #14, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 298 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $12,158 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.

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

Read full report on Public Health at San Jose State University

15

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $10,006 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Davis Public Health Report

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Public Health Report

17

California State University - San Marcos came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 50 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $9,397 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Public Health Report

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,985 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

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 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%.

Full CSUSB Public Health Report

19

California State University - Chico landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 56 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,754 for California Public Health 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%.

Full Chico State Public Health Report

20

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 168 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced also took the #25 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $10,363 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Health at University of California - Merced

21
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,705 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at San Francisco State University

22

Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public health degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science is $22,114 for California Public Health 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Health at Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science

23
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #23, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Santa Clara, California, and it awarded 40 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Health Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Clara University is $26,428 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Health at SCU

24
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 62 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California Baptist University is $21,769 for california public health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read full report on Public Health at California Baptist University

25
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Health Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of San Francisco is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 72 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Health Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Francisco is $32,023 for California Public Health students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read full report on Public Health at USFCA

Switch to a Similar Major

Health Sciences & Services
Best Value Colleges for Health Sciences & Services (Income $0-$30k) in California

Communication Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Communication Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

Health & Medical Administrative Services
Best Value Colleges for Health & Medical Administrative Services (Income $0-$30k) in California

Allied Health Professions
Best Value Colleges for Allied Health Professions (Income $0-$30k) in California

Health/Medical Prep Programs
Best Value Colleges for Health/Medical Prep Programs (Income $0-$30k) in California

Medical Science
Best Value Colleges for Medical Science (Income $0-$30k) in California

Optometry
Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k) in California

Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

Medical Illustration & Informatics
Best Value Colleges for Medical Illustration & Informatics (Income $0-$30k) in California

Bioethics/Medical Ethics
Best Value Colleges for Bioethics/Medical Ethics (Income $0-$30k) in California

Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services
Best Value Colleges for Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services (Income $0-$30k) in California

Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in California

Other Health Professions
Best Value Colleges for Other Health Professions (Income $0-$30k) in California

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options