2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
80
Ranked Colleges
3,743
Degrees Awarded
$9,000
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 80 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 80 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 60 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $5,729 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 262 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $4,882 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Administration at FIU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 59 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $7,349 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Florida State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 222 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UCF also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,256 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at UCF
Out of the 80 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Atlantic University landed the #5 spot on the list. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, FAU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FAU is $8,262 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Florida Atlantic University
With a ranking of #6, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 41 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, NC State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,448 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NC State.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full NC State Public Administration Report
University of Georgia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 81 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,688 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 Public Administration at University of Georgia
University of North Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $6,074 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UNF Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #9, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 12 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full USF Tampa Public Administration Report
Indian River State College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indian River State College is a public institution located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $3,595 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Public Administration at Indian River State College
Virginia Tech ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 44 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $14,003 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Tech
Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and it awarded 25 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, FGCU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida Gulf Coast University is $7,969 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at FGCU
Clemson University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Clemson is $16,650 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Clemson University
Appalachian State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 40 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Appalachian State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $9,940 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Administration at Appalachian State University
Kentucky State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Frankfort, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Kentucky State University is $5,910 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full KY State Public Administration Report
Western Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 86 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
WCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $11,625 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Public Administration at Western Carolina University
South University, Savannah did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Savannah, Georgia, this small private for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full South University, Savannah Public Administration Report
Fayetteville State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized school located in Fayetteville, North Carolina that handed out 12 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,605 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fayetteville State University.
Read full report on Public Administration at Fayetteville State University
Northern Kentucky University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,947 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NKU.
Read full report on Public Administration at NKU
Augusta University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Augusta University is a public institution located in Augusta, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $10,221 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Augusta University Public Administration Report
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 33 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $9,190 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Public Administration at UNC Greensboro
James Madison University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at JMU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $14,985 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Administration at James Madison University
University of Kentucky came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UK is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UK is $13,424 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Kentucky Public Administration Report
University of North Georgia ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNG is a fairly large public school situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. It awarded 17 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,654 for Southeast Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Georgia.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of North Georgia
University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Charlotte not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $13,226 for southeast region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 UNC Charlotte
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