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2022 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

34 Ranked Colleges
1,956 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Administration is the 47th most popular major in the country with 17,269 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,956 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 34 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The public admin school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Public Administration Report

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #2 spot on the list. UT Tyler is located in Tyler, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UT Tyler did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Tyler is $7,058 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at The University of Texas at Tyler

#3

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Texas College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. South Texas College is located in McAllen, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $1,390 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at South Texas College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Texas is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UNT also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,082 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Texas.

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 University of North Texas Public Administration Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $2,298 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at Texas A&M International University

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $13,270 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 94%.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school handed out 121 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

UTSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $11,109 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UTSA.

Read more about Public Administration at UTSA

#8

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 38 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,189 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Antonio College.

Full San Antonio College Public Administration Report

#9

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 9 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $9,925 for southwest region 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 86%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Houston

#10

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $11,466 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Arizona

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Dallas is $11,745 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Dallas Public Administration Report

#12

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Canyon, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,146 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

Full West Texas A&M University Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 19 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTEP, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,427 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at UTEP

#14

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 13 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $13,326 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Texas Tech

#15

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 72 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,292 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State.

Full Texas State Public Administration Report

#16

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lamar University is a fairly large school located in Beaumont, Texas that handed out 2 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lamar University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $10,631 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at Lamar University

University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Houston - Clear Lake is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,941 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake.

Read more about Public Administration at UH Clear Lake

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 7 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $7,006 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at NMSU Main Campus

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Arlington is $12,974 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UT Arlington Public Administration Report

#20

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Huntsville, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $11,634 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Sam Houston State University

#21

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Skysong not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Skysong is $12,020 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full ASU - Skysong Public Administration Report

#21

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NAU is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 19 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,799 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Read full report on Public Administration at Northern Arizona University

University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 165 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $13,378 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UOPX - Arizona Public Administration Report

Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 8 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SFASU is $10,816 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Stephen F Austin State University Public Administration Report

University of Central Oklahoma landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and it awarded 26 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UCO also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Oklahoma is $13,381 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Central Oklahoma Public Administration Report

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,285 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Oklahoma.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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