Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Public Administration & Social Service

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

33 Ranked Colleges
2,671 Degrees Awarded
$34,748 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 97,666 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. 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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 33 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. 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 $48-$75k

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 $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

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 $48-$75k list. 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.

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 $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Los Angeles

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 90 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UC 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees 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 $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full Fresno State Public Administration & Social Service Report

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 163 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 CSUDH Public Administration & Social Service Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 304 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Cal State Fullerton

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, 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 $48-$75k 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUSB has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,924 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

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 1.6%, 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 - Long Beach

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

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 $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at CSUN

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 244 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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 $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 California State University - Sacramento Public Administration & Social Service Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 96 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. 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 UCR

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $13,311 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

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

With a ranking of #13, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SFSU

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#12 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 204 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

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 estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SDSU

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 77 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, 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 students.

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

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. 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

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Chico State Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Cal State 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 yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,048 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#19

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

With a ranking of #19, 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 $48-$75k list. University of Phoenix - California is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 58 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,618 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UOPX - California.

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

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 $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $7,564 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Cruz, 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 57 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#22

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, 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 $48-$75k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,623 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno Pacific University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno Pacific University

#23

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $15,723 for California Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Humboldt State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#24

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#17 in overall quality

La Sierra University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. La Sierra University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

La Sierra also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for La Sierra is $24,252 for california bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full La Sierra University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

National University

La Jolla, California
#21 in overall quality

National 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 $48-$75k ranking. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

National University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at National University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Public Administration Schools

Find Schools Near You