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2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

99 Ranked Colleges
3,117 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,117 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 99 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (With Aid)

Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #1 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $2,532 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid.

Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Public Administration Report

#2

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baruch College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Baruch is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,562 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid per year to attend Baruch College.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration at Baruch College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid.

The low 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 more about Public Administration at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 41 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid list, CSUN has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 California State University - Northridge Public Administration Report

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 593 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Public Administration Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $7,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid per year to attend FIU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida International University Public Administration Report

#7

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

With a ranking of #7, St Petersburg College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. St Petersburg College is a large public school situated in Clearwater, Florida. It awarded 45 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend St Petersburg College is $3,226 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at St Petersburg College

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,991 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at Cal State Fullerton

#9

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $2,003 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indian River State College

Indiana University - Northwest ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. IU Northwest is a public institution located in Gary, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Northwest is $7,755 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid.

Full Indiana University - Northwest Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Dallas is $15,232 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 The University of Texas at Dallas Public Administration Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 24 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 86%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#14

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It awarded 12 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fayetteville State University is $5,899 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Full Fayetteville State University Public Administration Report

#15

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $10,274 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 more about Public Administration at University of Central Florida

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 90 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $11,285 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#17

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#19 in overall quality

West Texas A&M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Canyon, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $12,761 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at West Texas A&M University

#18

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

Western Carolina University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Western Carolina University is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 45 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

WCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Full Western Carolina University Public Administration Report

#19

Colorado State University - Global Campus

Greenwood Village, Colorado
#11 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Colorado State University - Global Campus is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Global Campus, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Colorado State University - Global Campus

#20

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #20, Rhode Island College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. RIC is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,922 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid per year to attend RIC.

Read more about Public Administration at RIC

#21

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Public Administration Report

#22

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#24 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid list, SDSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration at San Diego State University

#23

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Winona State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid list, Winona State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students with aid per year to attend Winona State.

The low 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%.

Full Winona State Public Administration Report

#24

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,435 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Read full report on Public Administration at UMSL

#25

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $10,186 for bachelor’s degree public admin students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University

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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