2023 Best Public Administration Schools in California
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 2023 rankings named San Jose State University the best school in California for public administration students. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very 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 very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
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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 large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
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Out of the 24 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Golden Gate University - San Francisco landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means California State University - Northridge is a great place for public administration students. 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.
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California State University - Sacramento ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public Administration Schools in California list. Sac State is a very large public school located in the large 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 school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, public admin graduates from Cal Baptist carry an average student debtload of $38,688.
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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 very large public school located in the 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 city of Bakersfield, CSUB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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National University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration programs. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large 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.
Request InformationBest Public Administration Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Public Administration Schools 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 |
More Public Administration Rankings in California
Public Administration Related Rankings by Major
Public Administration is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.