Best Public Administration Schools Near Lincoln, CA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lincoln, California has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $8,018 to $26,283 per year for indexed programs. Lincoln has a population of about 51,629. Median household income is $108,108 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $118,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Lincoln

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Lincoln, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lincoln 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:

  • 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 Lincoln. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 22.9 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 61.7 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 66.0 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,172
Avg net price $14,480/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 83.3 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 89.6 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 93.7 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA 96.0 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,434
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 96.3 miles from Lincoln
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California public administration page.

Public Administration Wages Near Lincoln

Lincoln is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$76,080Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$71,303
Urban and Regional Planner$96,580Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$90,515
General and Operations Manager$118,460Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$111,022
Management Analyst$82,990Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$77,779

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.

Lincoln at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,629Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$108,108Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lincoln-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Lincoln, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Lincoln. The closest is California State University-Sacramento in Sacramento, CA (22.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeastern University Oakland (89.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Lincoln?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Lincoln are: General and Operations Manager ($118,460), Urban and Regional Planner ($96,580), Management Analyst ($82,990). 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 Rocklin instead of Lincoln?

Rocklin, CA is 5.2 miles from Lincoln 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 Lincoln an affordable place to study public administration?

Lincoln’s median household income of $108,108 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lincoln 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 Lincoln

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lincoln:

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.

Back to Best Public Administration Schools in California (2026)