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2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

83 Ranked Colleges
3,743 Degrees Awarded
$12,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 83 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region public admin students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

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 Getting Aid list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 60 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Administration Report

2

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 Getting Aid. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 262 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students with aid list, FIU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,298 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend Florida International University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Florida International University Public Administration Report

3

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. 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 UCF is $8,618 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UCF Public Administration Report

4
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida Atlantic University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Florida Atlantic University is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FAU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

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%.

Full FAU Public Administration Report

5
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indian River State College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indian River State College is located in Fort Pierce, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $3,786 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indian River State College

6
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 59 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

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. It costs about $9,946 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend Florida State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Public Administration at Florida State University

7
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,989 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Public Administration at Appalachian State University

8
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #8, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students with aid list, NC State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,411 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Public Administration Report

9
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 21 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $8,865 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

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 UNF Public Administration Report

10
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,301 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Tech

11
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #11, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $14,257 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Georgia

12
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

WCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,924 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

Full WCU Public Administration Report

13
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. FGCU is located in Fort Myers, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

FGCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,299 for southeast region public admin students with aid per year to attend Florida Gulf Coast University.

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

14
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fayetteville State University is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Fayetteville State University is $6,969 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at Fayetteville State University

15

With a ranking of #15, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,629 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend UNC Greensboro.

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

16

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 12 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,346 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid per year to attend USF Tampa.

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 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. 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 $12,239 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at Augusta University

18
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. American Military University is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 88 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for American Military University is $10,563 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full American Military University Public Administration Report

19
KY State crest
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky

Kentucky State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

It costs about $7,343 for southeast region public admin students with aid per year to attend KY State.

Full Kentucky State University Public Administration Report

20
Tennessee State University crest
Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #20, Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,867 for southeast region public admin students with aid per year to attend Tennessee State University.

Read more about Public Administration at Tennessee State University

21
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, James Madison University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $22,562 for southeast region public admin students with aid per year to attend James Madison University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Public Administration at JMU

22
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. East Carolina University is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $16,550 for Southeast Region Public Admin students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration at ECU

23
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama

Troy University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Troy, Alabama, this fairly large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend TROY is $14,992 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

Full TROY Public Administration Report

24
Savannah State University crest
Savannah State University
Savannah, Georgia

Savannah State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Savannah State University is a small public school situated in Savannah, Georgia. It awarded 16 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Savannah State University is $10,157 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration at Savannah State University

25
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 118 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $19,551 for southeast region public admin students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at George Mason University

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