2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
22
Ranked Colleges
1,339
Degrees Awarded
$27,600
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,826 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin.
Top 22 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #1 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 106 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M College Station, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,925. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M University - College Station]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus supports 27,772 students, and 12 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 10 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,720. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 full report on veteran student life at University of Oklahoma]](/colleges/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Arlington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, UT Arlington has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 48,072 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Arlington, 2,109 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,211 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,630. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona, 2,131 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,880. To help with additional expenses, 31 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Arizona Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #5 spot on the list. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
UTSA also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10.Our most recent data shows that 3,565 of the 34,742 students enrolled at UTSA were GI Bill® students, of which 1,847 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,531. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 UTSA Veteran Student Life Report
Grand Canyon University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 221 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Grand Canyon University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 103,427 students enrolled at Grand Canyon University, 7,172 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4,951 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,970. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grand Canyon University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
University of North Texas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 40 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 40,953 students enrolled at University of North Texas, 2,038 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,138 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,999. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of North Texas offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of North Texas Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 29 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Dallas also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UT Dallas supports 28,669 students, and 752 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 458 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,706. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UT Dallas offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #9, Texas State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Texas State is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State University, 2,559 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,635. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas State University]](/colleges/texas-state-university-san-marcos/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 115 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7.Among the 32,441 students enrolled at UT Rio Grande Valley, 871 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 302 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,560. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UT Rio Grande Valley offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-pan-american/student-life/veterans/)
Tarleton State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Tarleton State University is a public institution located in Stephenville, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, Tarleton has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Tarleton State University supports 14,016 students, and 755 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 317 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,304. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tarleton State University]](/colleges/tarleton-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 41 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNM, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 22,311 students enrolled at University of New Mexico - Main Campus, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of New Mexico - Main Campus offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 14,132 students enrolled at UCO, 934 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 428 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,062. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Northern Arizona University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 29,566 students enrolled at Northern Arizona University, 1,055 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,378. On top of their other funding sources, 56 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northern Arizona University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NAU]](/colleges/northern-arizona-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #15, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 12 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech, 1,242 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 630 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,480. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
SFASU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Stephen F Austin State University supports 12,620 students, and 427 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 177 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,500. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Stephen F Austin State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #17, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 160 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UOPX - Arizona also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 135 of the 89,763 students enrolled at UOPX - Arizona were GI Bill® students, of which 157 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,437. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 9 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
NMSU Main Campus also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, NMSU Main Campus supports 14,227 students, and 620 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 285 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,880. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at New Mexico State University - Main Campus]](/colleges/new-mexico-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #19, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is located in Corpus Christi, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 10,820 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, 773 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 357 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,191. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Texas A&M Corpus Christi Veteran Student Life Report
Texas Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. TSU is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 40 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
TSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 7,015 students enrolled at TSU, 441 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 179 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,426. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. TSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas Southern University]](/colleges/texas-southern-university/student-life/veterans/)
The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #21. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, UTEP has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 24,879 students enrolled at UTEP, 1,873 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 942 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,990. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Wayland Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. Wayland Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Plainview, Texas. It awarded 38 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Wayland Baptist University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 4,062 students enrolled at Wayland Baptist University, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,578. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Wayland Baptist University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Wayland Baptist University]](/colleges/wayland-baptist-university/student-life/veterans/)
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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