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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

12 Ranked Colleges
143 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration is the 58th most popular major in the country with 17,269 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Plains States region, there were 1,443 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,408 and $49,259 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 143 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

Winona State also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $18,682 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Winona State University.

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%.

Full Winona State Public Administration Report

#2

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UND also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UND is $17,409 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UND

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UNI is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $17,467 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full UNI Public Administration Report

#4

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Park University also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $20,118 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Park University.

Full Park University Public Administration Report

#5

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #5 spot on the list. UMSL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 7 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UMSL also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $14,557 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Public Administration at UMSL

#6

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BVU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Buena Vista University is $18,120 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Administration at BVU

#7

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Washburn University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Topeka, Kansas, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Washburn University also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Washburn University is $16,782 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Washburn University Public Administration Report

#8

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#8 in overall quality

Lindenwood University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Lindenwood University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,268 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Lindenwood University

#9

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,981 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Kansas.

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

Read more about Public Administration at University of Kansas

#10

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Fayette, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

UIU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $24,690 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UIU.

Full Upper Iowa University Public Administration Report

#11

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri
#11 in overall quality

Columbia College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

Columbia College Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $26,327 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia College Missouri.

Read more about Public Administration at Columbia College

#13 in overall quality

Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Drury University - CCPS is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Drury University - CCPS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies is $16,798 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies

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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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