Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Public Administration & Social Service

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

57 Ranked Colleges
10,929 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

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 Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 97,666 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 10,929 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,068 and $29,286 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 57 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration and social service programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

The public administration & social service school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#1

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #1 spot on the list. South Texas College is a large school located in McAllen, Texas that handed out 125 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $1,174 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid.

Full South Texas College Public Administration & Social Service Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Community College District. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Austin Community College District is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 36 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Community College District did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $6,861 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Austin Community College District

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 279 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UT Rio Grande Valley

#5

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amarillo College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Amarillo College is a public institution located in Amarillo, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Amarillo College is $5,578 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Amarillo College

#6

San Juan College

Farmington, New Mexico

San Juan College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Farmington, New Mexico, and it awarded 27 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,115 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend San Juan College.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at SJC

Texas A&M International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,074 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

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

The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Tyler, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,974 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend UT Tyler.

Full The University of Texas at Tyler Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #9, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. TWU is located in Denton, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

TWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,617 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Texas Woman’s University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Texas Woman’s University

#9

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, New Mexico

Western New Mexico University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Silver City, New Mexico, and it awarded 241 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Western New Mexico University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western New Mexico University is $12,411 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Western New Mexico University

With a ranking of #11, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 347 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 97%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UT Austin

#12

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, Texas

Tyler Junior College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tyler Junior College is a fairly large public school situated in Tyler, Texas. It awarded 40 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Tyler Junior College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tyler Junior College is $9,277 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Tyler Junior College

#13

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern State University is $9,994 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid.

Full Northeastern State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. University of Phoenix - Arizona is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 982 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

UOPX - Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,944 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UOPX - Arizona

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $15,232 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UT Dallas

#16

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

With a ranking of #16, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. MSU Texas is a public institution located in Wichita Falls, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $10,045 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid.

Full MSU Texas Public Administration & Social Service Report

#17

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #17, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in San Angelo, Texas, and it awarded 39 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $13,819 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Angelo State University.

Full Angelo State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#18

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $12,311 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Full Lamar University Public Administration & Social Service Report

The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 104 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $8,920 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Texas at El Paso

#20

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #20, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 253 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $12,838 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid.

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 University of Houston Public Administration & Social Service Report

The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 1,043 students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $14,246 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UT Arlington

#21

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. East Central University is a public institution located in Ada, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Central University is $10,334 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at East Central University

#23

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 332 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $15,230 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Full Texas State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #24, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 197 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,853 for southwest region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UTSA

#25

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend San Antonio College is $5,882 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at San Antonio College

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Public Administration Schools

Find Schools Near You