2023 Best Public Policy Schools in California
Finding the Best Public Policy School for You
In 2020-2021, 798 degrees and certificates were awarded to public policy students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #103 most popular major in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Public Policy Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Public Policy Schools in California
Check out the public policy programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Public Policy Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for public policy students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out of the 11 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Loma Linda University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of California - San Francisco is a great place for public policy students. UCSF is a small public school located in the city of San Francisco.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of California - San Francisco
The excellent programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public policy schools in California. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Southern California
With a ranking of #6, California Lutheran University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public policy students. CLU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Thousand Oaks.
University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a very large student population.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of California - Irvine
Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in California list. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
University of California - Riverside ranked #9 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in California list. Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, public policy majors at UCR accumulate an average of around $19,487 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $70, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Public Policy at University of California - Riverside Report
Pepperdine University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public policy students. It came in at #10 on the list. Pepperdine is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Malibu.
Best Public Policy Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Public Policy Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 32 |
| Oregon | 50 |
| Nevada | 12 |
| Alaska | 0 |
More Public Policy Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Public Policy
One of 5 majors within the area of study, public policy has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Public Policy
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 58,326 |
| Public Administration | 16,905 |
| Human Services | 13,238 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 3,096 |
| Other Public Administration | 588 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 11 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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