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2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

83 Ranked Colleges
3,743 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Administration is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,905 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 3,743 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,873 and $30,563 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 83 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 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 the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $3,753 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Administration Report

2

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 262 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $3,196 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at FIU

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State University Public Administration Report

4

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 222 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCF Public Administration Report

5
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,303 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Georgia Public Administration Report

6
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at North Carolina State University

7
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #7, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 44 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,934 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Virginia Tech

8
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

FAU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $6,726 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 Florida Atlantic University

9
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,367 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Florida.

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%.

Full University of North Florida Public Administration Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,176 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of South Florida - Main Campus

11
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 40 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Appalachian State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $7,354 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Appalachian State

12
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

Clemson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,744 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clemson.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Full Clemson University Public Administration Report

13
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 86 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,305 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WCU.

Read full report on Public Administration at WCU

14
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida

With a ranking of #14, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Myers, Florida. It awarded 25 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, FGCU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $6,762 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FGCU.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Public Administration at Florida Gulf Coast University

15
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

With a ranking of #15, Indian River State College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $2,686 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indian River State College

16

With a ranking of #16, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,433 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Public Administration Report

17
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NKU is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 24 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at NKU

18
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, JMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $14,288 for Southeast Region 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 89%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at JMU

19

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $7,645 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

20
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It awarded 12 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,366 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fayetteville State University.

Full Fayetteville State University Public Administration Report

21
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

With a ranking of #21, Augusta University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augusta University is located in Augusta, Georgia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Augusta University is $9,740 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Augusta University

22

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,318 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Public Administration at Louisiana State University

23
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #23, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 40 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $12,593 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 University of Kentucky

24
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 118 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GMU is $14,781 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at GMU

25
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,260 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ECU.

Read more about Public Administration at ECU

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