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Best Public & Social Service Schools in California

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2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in California

36 Colleges
$50,986 Avg Salary
$22,122 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 5,554 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 8th out of all the majors we track in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Grad Degree Search has created the Best Public & Social Service Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 36 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration and social service majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Berkeley the best school in California for public administration and social service students. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the city of Berkeley.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Berkeley Report

#2

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Loma Linda University is a great place for public administration and social service students. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Loma Linda.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Loma Linda University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in California list. San Jose State is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Jose.

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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 #4 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in California list. UCLA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Los Angeles

The excellent programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Southern California Report

#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

University of San Francisco ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of San Francisco Report

Golden Gate University - San Francisco came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools in California ranking. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Golden Gate University - San Francisco

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Monterey Bay Report

California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in California list. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public college with a very large student population.

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With a ranking of #10, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Stan State is a large public school located in the suburb of Turlock.

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

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 712
Oregon 423
Nevada 325
Hawaii 138
Alaska 65

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 33,631
Public Administration 13,571
Public Policy 3,737
Human Services 1,277
Community Organization & Advocacy 741
Other Public Administration 295

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

Related Major Annual Graduates
Legal Professions 45,189
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 13,045
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 10,452
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 1,613

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 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 University of the Fraser Valley.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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