Best Public Administration Schools Near Santa Rosa, CA (2026)

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

Santa Rosa, California has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs. Santa Rosa has a population of about 177,216. Median household income is $97,410 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is Urban and Regional Planner at a median $123,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Santa Rosa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Santa Rosa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 7.5 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 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

#2

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 48.3 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA 48.4 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 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

#4

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 51.6 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 54.1 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 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 65.0 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 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

Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA 68.2 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,576
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 69.8 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 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

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

Public Administration Wages Near Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). 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$84,310Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$78,210
Urban and Regional Planner$123,090Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$114,184
General and Operations Manager$109,970Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$102,013
Management Analyst$108,490Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$100,640

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.

Santa Rosa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population177,216Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,410Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)107.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Rosa-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Santa Rosa, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Santa Rosa. The closest is Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeastern University Oakland (54.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Santa Rosa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Santa Rosa are: Urban and Regional Planner ($123,090), General and Operations Manager ($109,970), Management Analyst ($108,490). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Santa Rosa?

Rohnert Park, CA is 6.8 miles from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa an affordable place to study public administration?

Santa Rosa’s median household income of $97,410 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa

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

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)