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Best Public Administration Schools in California

2023 Best Public Administration Schools in California

24 Colleges
$57,932 Avg Salary
$27,676 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,883 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #58 most popular major in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Public Administration Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 24 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Public Administration Colleges.

Top 10 Best Public Administration Schools

Our analysis found San Jose State University to be the best school for public administration students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public Administration Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

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#3

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of San Francisco. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Public Administration Schools in California list. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.

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The excellent programs at Golden Gate University - San Francisco helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration schools in California. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Public Administration Schools in California list. CSUN is a very large public school located in the large city of Northridge.

While working on their degree, public admin majors at CSUN accumulate an average of around $37,500 in student debt.

Full Public Administration at California State University - Northridge Report

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California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration students. It came in at #6 on the list. Sac State is a very large public school located in the city of Sacramento.

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California Baptist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, public admin graduates from Cal Baptist carry an average student debtload of $38,688.

Full Public Administration at California Baptist University Report

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California State University - Fresno did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration students. It came in at #8 on the list. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Fresno.

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California State University - Bakersfield came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Bakersfield, CSUB is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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#10

National University

La Jolla, CA

National University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Schools in California ranking. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.

Public Admin majors at National University take out an average of $30,239 in student loans while working on their egree.

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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 Degrees Awarded
Washington 297
Oregon 117
Nevada 78
Hawaii 186
Alaska 34

Public Administration is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 24 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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