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2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

270 Ranked Colleges
16,897 Degrees Awarded
$5,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 270 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.

Harvard also made our “Best Public Administration Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $1,396 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Harvard University.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard Public Administration Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $917 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Northwestern University

3

Out of the 270 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #3 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 374 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,699 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 65 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $4,859 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at Johns Hopkins University

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $1,938 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UPenn Public Administration Report

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 757 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full IU Bloomington Public Administration Report

7

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Public Administration Report

8

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 280 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

John Jay also claimed a top spot on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,802 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend John Jay.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at John Jay

9
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,133 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at Cornell University

10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UMN Twin Cities

11
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Baruch is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 208 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $2,741 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Baruch

12

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 115 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

13

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Public Administration Report

14

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 53 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $6,046 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Bakersfield

15

California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 309 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, CSUN also did well on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,103 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Northridge

16

California State University - Fresno came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $4,655 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Public Administration Report

17

Florida International University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 262 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU excels when it comes to public admin quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $4,882 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Public Administration at FIU

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 129 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,329 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUDH

19

With a ranking of #19, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

IUPUI excels when it comes to public admin quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $8,216 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Public Administration Report

20

California State University - Long Beach came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 131 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Long Beach

21

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 39 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Public Administration Report

22
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #22, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 59 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Florida State University

23
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Georgetown also did well on our “Best Public Administration Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $9,871 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at Georgetown University

24

California State University - Fullerton came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Fullerton

25

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 185 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Public Administration Schools” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $8,581 for Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at Ohio State University - Main Campus

Rest of the Best 41 in Best Value Public Admin Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 41 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey
29
30
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
31
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
32
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
33
34
35
36
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
37
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
38
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
39
40
41
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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