Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

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

14 Ranked Colleges
268 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,956 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,336 and $35,041 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 268 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $11,109 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Public Administration Report

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $11,466 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Texas A&M University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Texas A&M University, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,146 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Dallas. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 25 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $11,745 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Public Administration Report

#5

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $12,292 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Texas State University

#3 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $7,941 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UH Clear Lake Public Administration Report

#7

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 9 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $9,799 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at Northern Arizona University

#13 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 2 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFASU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,816 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFASU.

Read full report on Public Administration at Stephen F Austin State University

With a ranking of #9, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $13,378 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Phoenix - Arizona

#8 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $17,285 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 University of Oklahoma

#12 in overall quality

University of Central Oklahoma landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Central Oklahoma is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCO is $13,381 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Central Oklahoma

#12

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Tarleton State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tarleton State University is a public institution located in Stephenville, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Tarleton also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tarleton State University is $17,132 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Tarleton State University Public Administration Report

#13

Saint Edward's University

Austin, Texas
#5 in overall quality

Saint Edward’s University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Edward’s University also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for St. Edward’s University is $20,024 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at St. Edward’s University

#14

Texas Southern University

Houston, Texas
#14 in overall quality

Texas Southern University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. TSU is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, TSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $24,201 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas Southern University.

Full TSU Public Administration Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Public Administration Schools

Find Schools Near You