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2022 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

33 Ranked Colleges
1,956 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered 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.

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.

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 Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at UT Rio Grande Valley

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M International University landed the #2 spot on the list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 9 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $3,809 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Texas A&M International University

#3

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Texas College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in McAllen, Texas, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,962 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend South Texas College.

Read more about Public Administration at South Texas College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Tyler. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Tyler is $10,037 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at The University of Texas at Tyler

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $13,827 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UTSA Public Administration Report

With a ranking of #6, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Texas A&M University is a fairly large school located in Canyon, Texas that handed out 6 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $11,101 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at West Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $18,810 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at Texas A&M University - College Station

#8

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #8, San Antonio College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Antonio College is a fairly large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 38 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend San Antonio College is $8,279 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at San Antonio College

#9

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #9, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 9 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UH is $12,505 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Houston

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 56 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $13,797 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Public Administration at UT Dallas

#11

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Texas State also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $14,250 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas State University.

Full Texas State University Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 19 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UTEP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $10,786 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. UT Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UT Arlington is $14,622 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at UT Arlington

#14

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 77 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $15,399 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Arizona

University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. UH Clear Lake is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 8 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $9,886 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at UH Clear Lake

#16

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 76 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,377 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Texas.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at University of North Texas

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 7 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $10,235 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NMSU Main Campus Public Administration Report

#18

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sam Houston State University is a large public school situated in Huntsville, Texas. It awarded 15 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $14,832 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at SHSU

#19

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lamar University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $14,818 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at Lamar University

#20

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 13 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,421 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

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 about Public Administration at Texas Tech

With a ranking of #21, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 165 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $14,939 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at UOPX - Arizona

#22

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

With a ranking of #22, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Skysong is $15,891 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at ASU - Skysong

#22

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $12,675 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Arizona University Public Administration Report

Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,644 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Public Administration at SFASU

#24

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNM is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 48 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus is $16,557 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at UNM

#25

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, Texas

Tyler Junior College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tyler Junior College is a fairly large public school situated in Tyler, Texas. It awarded 2 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Tyler Junior College is $11,066 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Tyler Junior College

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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.

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