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2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

139 Ranked Colleges
19,866 Degrees Awarded
$7,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 98,583 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 19,866 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,709 and $29,395 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 139 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration and social service programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 269 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $-927 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Duke Public Administration & Social Service Report

2

Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service 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 #2 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 387 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UNC Chapel Hill

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 55 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at William & Mary

4
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,652 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Vanderbilt Public Administration & Social Service Report

5

Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 341 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $4,882 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Florida International University

6

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 302 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa excels when it comes to public administration and social service quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,632 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at USF Tampa

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $7,349 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Florida State

8
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 287 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FAU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $8,262 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service 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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at FAU

9
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

With a ranking of #9, Indian River State College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indian River State College is located in Fort Pierce, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 170 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,595 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indian River State College.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Indian River State College

10

The University of West Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of West Florida is a fairly large school located in Pensacola, Florida that handed out 58 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $3,827 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UWF

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 637 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $6,256 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCF.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full UCF Public Administration & Social Service Report

12
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 321 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, UGA has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,688 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Full University of Georgia Public Administration & Social Service Report

13
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 180 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $10,063 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Virginia - Main Campus

14

With a ranking of #14, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. FSCJ is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 154 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville is $3,502 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full FSCJ Public Administration & Social Service Report

15
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 209 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

NC State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $9,448 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at NC State

16
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $5,947 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Northern Kentucky University

17
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 49 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $6,074 for southeast region public administration & social service 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 University of North Florida Public Administration & Social Service Report

18
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fayetteville State University is a public institution located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fayetteville State University is $6,605 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Fayetteville State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

19
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 192 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Appalachian State also did well on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,940 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Appalachian State

20
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $7,969 for southeast region public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Public Administration & Social Service Report

21
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $14,003 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Virginia Tech

22
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Murray State University is a medium-sized school located in Murray, Kentucky that handed out 97 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Murray State is $9,520 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Murray State

23

With a ranking of #23, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 440 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,970 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Knoxville.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Knoxville Public Administration & Social Service Report

24

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 144 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,190 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Full UNC Greensboro Public Administration & Social Service Report

25
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 47 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clemson, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clemson University is $16,650 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Clemson University Public Administration & Social Service Report

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