College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

8 Ranked Colleges
488 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 16,897 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 488 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 8 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 8 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 59 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for Pennsylvania Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UPenn

2
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $13,608 for pennsylvania public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Carnegie Mellon Public Administration Report

3
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Villanova University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It awarded 114 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Villanova not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $26,460 for Pennsylvania Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Villanova University.

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 Villanova University

4
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k. WCUPA is a public institution located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WCUPA also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $16,325 for pennsylvania 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full WCUPA Public Administration Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $17,691 for pennsylvania 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 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Public Administration Report

6
Ship crest
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Ship did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Ship is $19,488 for Pennsylvania Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at Ship

7
Kutztown University crest
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Kutztown University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is $19,255 for Pennsylvania Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

8
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania

Widener University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $30-$48k list. Widener University is located in Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Widener has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $31,220 for pennsylvania public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Widener University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Widener

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options