Ranking
Best Public Policy Analysis Colleges in California 2026
19 California colleges offering Public Policy Analysis, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 19
- Cheapest net price
- $10,440
- Top earnings 10y
- $138,687
- Public / Private
- 8 / 11
Stanford University
A+- ROI score
- 22.47
- Net price
- $13,807
- Earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Acceptance
- 3.6%
University of California-Berkeley
A+- ROI score
- 17.14
- Net price
- $13,481
- Earnings 10y
- $92,446
- Acceptance
- 11%
University of California-San Diego
A+- ROI score
- 17.03
- Net price
- $12,470
- Earnings 10y
- $84,943
- Acceptance
- 26.7%
University of California-Los Angeles
A+- ROI score
- 16.44
- Net price
- $12,548
- Earnings 10y
- $82,511
- Acceptance
- 9%
California State University-Long Beach
A- ROI score
- 15.42
- Net price
- $10,440
- Earnings 10y
- $64,403
- Acceptance
- 46.3%
University of California-Irvine
A- ROI score
- 14.16
- Net price
- $14,251
- Earnings 10y
- $80,735
- Acceptance
- 28.6%
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
A- ROI score
- 13.62
- Net price
- $16,665
- Earnings 10y
- $90,768
- Acceptance
- 31.3%
University of California-Riverside
A- ROI score
- 11.83
- Net price
- $14,304
- Earnings 10y
- $67,699
- Acceptance
- 76.4%
San Diego State University
B- ROI score
- 10.56
- Net price
- $15,364
- Earnings 10y
- $64,909
- Acceptance
- 36.2%
Pomona College
B- ROI score
- 10.08
- Net price
- $19,285
- Earnings 10y
- $77,779
- Acceptance
- 7.1%
Harvey Mudd College
B- ROI score
- 9.65
- Net price
- $35,924
- Earnings 10y
- $138,687
- Acceptance
- 12.7%
Claremont McKenna College
B- ROI score
- 9.08
- Net price
- $28,849
- Earnings 10y
- $104,736
- Acceptance
- 9.6%
Mount Saint Mary's University
B- ROI score
- 8.45
- Net price
- $21,413
- Earnings 10y
- $72,379
- Acceptance
- 73.1%
University of the Pacific
B- ROI score
- 7.71
- Net price
- $25,447
- Earnings 10y
- $78,445
- Acceptance
- 71.3%
University of Southern California
C- ROI score
- 7.06
- Net price
- $32,740
- Earnings 10y
- $92,498
- Acceptance
- 9.8%
University of Redlands
C- ROI score
- 6.05
- Net price
- $30,031
- Earnings 10y
- $72,690
- Acceptance
- 82.7%
California Lutheran University
C- ROI score
- 5.71
- Net price
- $30,109
- Earnings 10y
- $68,712
- Acceptance
- 75.7%
Scripps College
D- ROI score
- 5.34
- Net price
- $36,294
- Earnings 10y
- $77,539
- Acceptance
- 38.3%
Pepperdine University
D- ROI score
- 3.57
- Net price
- $58,098
- Earnings 10y
- $82,939
- Acceptance
- 62.9%
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools with positive Public Policy Analysis program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 11.12 (8 public, 11 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Stanford University in Stanford, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many California colleges are in this list?
19 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.