2023 Best Value Public Policy Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Public Policy Bachelor's Degree 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Public Policy Bachelor's Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 5 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for public policy students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Public Policy
Our analysis found University of California - Los Angeles to be the best value school for public policy students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UCLA are $13,258 a year.
UCLA also claimed a spot on our Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UCR are $13,754 per year. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $70, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of California - Riverside
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at USC are $61,503 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, USC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mills College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Oakland, Mills is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Mills are $30,950 a year.
Full Public Policy at Mills College Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
MSMU undergraduate students pay an average of $45,388 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Public Policy at Mount Saint Mary’s University
Request InformationBest Value Public Policy Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value 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
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 5 schools only.
- 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.