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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in North Carolina

25 Ranked Colleges
1,551 Degrees Awarded
$17,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in North Carolina

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 North Carolina, there were 2,835 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,602 and $32,574 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,551 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in North Carolina

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 168 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Administration & Social Service Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #2 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large public school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 94 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Greensboro not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $12,748 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

#2

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina. Appalachian State University is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 89 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 & Social Service at Appalachian State

#4

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Carolina University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 71 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

ECU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $15,844 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend ECU.

Full ECU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#5

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 66 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,458 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at North Carolina State University

#6

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina
#7 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a fairly large school located in Wilmington, North Carolina that handed out 76 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UNCW also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $19,055 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNCW

#7

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#10 in overall quality

Western Carolina University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. WCU is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WCU also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,722 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at WCU

#8

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $16,529 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

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

Full UNC Charlotte Public Administration & Social Service Report

#9

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

North Carolina A & T State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. NC A&T is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NC A&T not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $10,274 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend North Carolina A & T State University.

Full NC A&T Public Administration & Social Service Report

#10

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina
#14 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Pembroke ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school situated in Pembroke, North Carolina. It awarded 65 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Pembroke also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Pembroke is $10,228 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full University of North Carolina at Pembroke Public Administration & Social Service Report

#11

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#18 in overall quality

Fayetteville State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #11. Fayetteville, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fayetteville State University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fayetteville State University is $5,899 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Fayetteville State University

#12

North Carolina Central University

Durham, North Carolina
#19 in overall quality

North Carolina Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #12. North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 70 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

North Carolina Central University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina Central University is $14,732 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at North Carolina Central University

#13

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

Winston - Salem State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winston - Salem State University is $12,286 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Winston - Salem State University

#14

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

Johnson C Smith University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #14. Johnson C Smith University is a small school located in Charlotte, North Carolina that handed out 24 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

JCSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johnson C Smith University is $19,220 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Johnson C Smith University

#15

Shaw University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

Shaw University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Shaw University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 22 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shaw University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Shaw University is $19,244 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Shaw University

#16

Barton College

Wilson, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Barton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Barton College is located in Wilson, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barton College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Barton College is $24,141 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Barton College

#17

Lees - McRae College

Banner Elk, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Lees - McRae College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Banner Elk, North Carolina, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Lees - McRae College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lees - McRae College is $21,024 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lees - McRae College

#18

Livingstone College

Salisbury, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

Livingstone College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Livingstone College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salisbury, North Carolina. It awarded 10 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Livingstone College also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $18,006 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Livingstone College.

Full Livingstone College Public Administration & Social Service Report

#19

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

Mars Hill University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Mars Hill University is located in Mars Hill, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Mars Hill has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mars Hill is $18,735 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Mars Hill Public Administration & Social Service Report

#20

Bennett College

Greensboro, North Carolina
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Bennett College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Bennett is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greensboro, North Carolina. It awarded 5 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Bennett did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $21,356 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend Bennett College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Bennett College Public Administration & Social Service Report

#21

Wingate University

Wingate, North Carolina
#13 in overall quality

Wingate University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Wingate is a small school located in Wingate, North Carolina that handed out 34 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Wingate also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wingate University is $18,759 for north carolina bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full Wingate Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22

Methodist University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

Methodist University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Fayetteville, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Methodist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Methodist University is $32,906 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Methodist

#23

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

Queens University of Charlotte ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Queens is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 3 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Queens also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $25,078 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Queens University of Charlotte.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Queens

#24

Lenoir - Rhyne University

Hickory, North Carolina
#23 in overall quality

Lenoir - Rhyne University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Hickory, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Lenoir - Rhyne University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Lenoir - Rhyne University is $18,924 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lenoir - Rhyne University

#25

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Duke University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 233 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $27,020 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Duke University

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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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