2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 17,269 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $48,859 and had an average of $42,077 in loans still to pay off.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 99 colleges that offered 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.
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.
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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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #1 spot on the list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $771 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend John Jay.
Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Baruch College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $1,858 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baruch College.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 88%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 593 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Bloomington
Out of the 99 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #4 spot on the list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.
FIU also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Dominguez Hills
With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.
Ohio State also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 41 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $5,945 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Central Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,211 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Public Administration at University of Central Florida
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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.
With a ranking of #10, St Petersburg College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Clearwater, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for St Petersburg College is $1,454 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Public Administration Report
San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,870 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full San Diego State University Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Northwest is $3,287 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 90 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,052 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #16, Indian River State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $1,402 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indian River State College.
Read more about Public Administration at Indian River State College
With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,446 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Public Administration Report
Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 47 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,085 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FAU.
Winona State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 6 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,381 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k 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%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Winona State University
With a ranking of #20, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. WCU is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, WCU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,188 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Carolina University.
Read full report on Public Administration at Western Carolina University
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,337 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.
Fayetteville State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fayetteville State University is a public institution located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Fayetteville State University is $4,330 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Fayetteville State University Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #24, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $10,757 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,366 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
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