Dana Point, California has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $35,325 per year for indexed programs. Dana Point has a population of about 32,883. Median household income is $127,246 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $125,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Dana Point
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Dana Point, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Dana Point city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Dana Point.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,703
Avg net price
$32,654/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Key stats- Retention rate: 52%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
91%
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,951
Avg net price
$6,555/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 78
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,803
Avg net price
$19,058/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
46%
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,403
Avg net price
$10,440/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 121
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,504
Avg net price
$26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 98
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,699
Avg net price
$14,304/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,606
Out‑of‑state$49,806
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 87
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
75%
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,902
Avg net price
$11,531/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 64
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
93%
Graduation rate
45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,162
Avg net price
$8,615/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Dana Point
Dana Point is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $87,100 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $76,673 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $111,380 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,046 |
| General and Operations Manager | $125,830 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $110,766 |
| Management Analyst | $104,930 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $92,368 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Dana Point at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 32,883 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $127,246 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 57.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Dana Point-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- San Juan Capistrano, CA – 3.1 mi away (36,276 pop)
- Laguna Niguel, CA – 3.8 mi away (65,328 pop)
- San Clemente, CA – 5.2 mi away (65,309 pop)
- Laguna Beach, CA – 6.2 mi away (23,190 pop)
- Aliso Viejo, CA – 7.5 mi away (51,424 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Dana Point, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Dana Point. The closest is University of Massachusetts Global in Aliso Viejo, CA (7.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Long Beach (32.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Dana Point?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Dana Point are: General and Operations Manager ($125,830), Urban and Regional Planner ($111,380), Management Analyst ($104,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in San Juan Capistrano instead of Dana Point?
San Juan Capistrano, CA is 3.1 miles from Dana Point and has its own set of local public administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Dana Point an affordable place to study public administration?
Dana Point’s median household income of $127,246 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dana Point while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Public Administration Programs
Other Programs Available in Dana Point
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Dana Point:
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- Interior Design programs in Dana Point, CA
- Photography programs in Dana Point, CA
- Sustainability Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Dana Point, CA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Dana Point, CA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Dana Point, CA
- Journalism programs in Dana Point, CA
- Public Relations programs in Dana Point, CA
- Communication Disorders programs in Dana Point, CA
- Speech Pathology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Technical Communication programs in Dana Point, CA
- Professional Writing programs in Dana Point, CA
- Strategic Communications programs in Dana Point, CA
- Business Development programs in Dana Point, CA
- Construction Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Economics programs in Dana Point, CA
- Financial Technology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Dana Point, CA
- Health Information Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- International Business programs in Dana Point, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Dana Point, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in Dana Point, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Operations Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Real Estate programs in Dana Point, CA
- Recreation Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Retail Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Risk Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Statistics programs in Dana Point, CA
- Taxation programs in Dana Point, CA
- Corrections programs in Dana Point, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in Dana Point, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Dana Point, CA
- Criminology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Cybercrime programs in Dana Point, CA
- Emergency Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Fire Science programs in Dana Point, CA
- Forensic Science programs in Dana Point, CA
- Legal Services programs in Dana Point, CA
- Legal Studies programs in Dana Point, CA
- Paralegal programs in Dana Point, CA
- Security Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in Dana Point, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Dana Point, CA
- Innovation programs in Dana Point, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in Dana Point, CA
- Software Development programs in Dana Point, CA
- User Experience programs in Dana Point, CA
- Web Development programs in Dana Point, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Dana Point, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Dana Point, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Dana Point, CA
- Public Health programs in Dana Point, CA
- Human Resources programs in Dana Point, CA
- Project Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Special Education programs in Dana Point, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Dana Point, CA
- Marketing programs in Dana Point, CA
- Finance programs in Dana Point, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Sports Management programs in Dana Point, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Dana Point, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Dana Point, CA
- Biology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Communications programs in Dana Point, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Dana Point, CA
- Human Services programs in Dana Point, CA
- MBA programs in Dana Point, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Dana Point, CA
- Nursing programs in Dana Point, CA
- Business Administration programs in Dana Point, CA
- Computer Science programs in Dana Point, CA
- Psychology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Education programs in Dana Point, CA
- Engineering programs in Dana Point, CA
- Technology programs in Dana Point, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Dana Point, CA
- Healthcare programs in Dana Point, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Dana Point, CA
- Accounting programs in Dana Point, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Dana Point, CA
- Social Work programs in Dana Point, CA
- Counseling programs in Dana Point, CA
Data verified: August 31, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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