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2025 Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

8 Colleges in California
220 Bachelor's Degrees
$55,925 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Administration is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #103 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 8 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 220 bachelor's degrees in public administration to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Administration School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in California Your choice of public administration for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality public admin program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for public administration students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Public Administration in California

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in public administration.

Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Public Admin

1

California State University - Northridge is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the public administration program at California State University - Northridge earn $20,124 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from California State University - Northridge

2

It's difficult to beat California Baptist University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the large city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Public Administration bachelor's degree recipients from California Baptist University receive an earnings boost of approximately $12,757 above the typical earnings of public administration graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from California Baptist University

3

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in public administration needs to check out San Diego State University. SDSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Diego.

After graduation, public admin bachelor's recipients generally earn around $41,020 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from San Diego State University

4

California State University - Fullerton is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the public admin program make about $36,626 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from California State University - Fullerton

5
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA

Located in the large city of San Diego, National University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Those public administration students who get their bachelor's degree from National University receive $21,152 more than the typical public admin student.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from National University

6

CSUDH is a large public university located in the city of Carson.

After graduating, public admin bachelor's recipients usually earn around $45,471 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from California State University - Dominguez Hills

7
17 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of La Verne, ULV is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from University of La Verne

8
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from University of California - Riverside

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 226 10
Oregon 185 55
Nevada 129 0
Hawaii 112 145

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Public Administration is one of 4 different types of Public Administration & Social Service programs to choose from.

Public Admin Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 220

Related Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 467
Public Policy 305
Other Public Administration 43
Community Organization & Advocacy 33

Notes and References

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