Cal State San Bernardino has been listed among the Best Public Affairs Programs in colleges and universities in the nation according to 2020 rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

CSUSB was ranked at 117 and tied with 13 other colleges and universities out of 275 graduate public affairs/public administration programs listed.

“We are deeply honored to be named among the best public affairs programs in the nation,” said Lawrence Rose, dean of the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, which houses the CSUSB Public Administration program. “Our faculty and staff strive to offer our students an exceptional and challenging program that is both rewarding and inspiring.”

The methodology to the U.S. News & World Report rankings of public affairs programs, published in 2020, are based solely on peer assessment survey results. In fall 2019 and early 2020, U.S. News surveyed deans, directors and department chairs representing 276 master’s programs in public affairs and administration. Two surveys were sent to each school.

Respondents to the survey were asked to rate the academic quality of master’s programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). They were instructed to select “don't know” if they did not have enough knowledge to rate a program. Scores for each school were totaled and divided by the number of respondents who rated that school. All public affairs programs surveyed appear in the rankings, sorted and ranked in descending order based solely on their average peer assessment score. The response rate was 62 percent.

The lists of schools, individuals surveyed and specialty areas evaluated were provided by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, known as NASPAA, and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. 

The CSUSB Public Administration program prepares students for leadership in public service. The program’s mission is to offer a high quality education in public administration founded on public service values; especially diversity, inclusiveness and democratic governance. The faculty combine practical experience with high academic credentials, and staff is dedicated to supporting student success.

The CSUSB Master of Public Administration program offers classes both on campus and online. All classes are offered in both formats so students can choose the method that fits their life and learning style. The Comprehensive Exam must be taken in person on the San Bernardino campus.

The MPA degree at CSUSB is accredited by NASPAA – the global standard in public service education. NASPAA’s accreditation process, driven by public service values, is mission- and outcomes-based, and grounded in an in-depth self-evaluation of programs using the NASPAA Accreditation Standards – the quality benchmark of graduate public service programs around the world. CSUSB is the only MPA program in the Inland Empire that has achieved this accreditation.