2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
21
Ranked Colleges
1,883
Degrees Awarded
$10,900
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 1,883 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration 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 Administration 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 Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #1 spot on the list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 309 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $6,266 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 CSUN Public Administration Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 131 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Public Administration at CSULB
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Bakersfield landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,238 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Bakersfield
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for California Public Admin 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Fresno State Public Administration Report
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 Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUDH has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,657 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Public Administration Report
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,590 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k 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 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%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 39 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,887 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA Public Administration Report
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 172 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Public Administration at San Diego State University
University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 164 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Public Administration at USC
With a ranking of #10, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 81 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Administration Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 20 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,122 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Public Administration Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 26 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for california public admin 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%.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - East Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 66 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at Cal State East Bay
University of California - Riverside landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCR Public Administration Report
San Jose State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,158 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full San Jose State Public Administration Report
California State University - Chico ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chico State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,754 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Chico
San Francisco State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 32 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $10,705 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Public Administration at SFSU
California Baptist University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Baptist is located in Riverside, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,769 for California Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Baptist University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Baptist Public Administration Report
University of La Verne came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Verne, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ULV, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ULV is $28,256 for california public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at ULV
