2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Rocky Mountains Region
19
Ranked Colleges
3,433
Degrees Awarded
$14,900
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.
Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 3,433 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,895 and $29,197 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking looked at 19 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.
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 and social service program at the school. 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 in the Rocky Mountains Region”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 Rocky Mountains Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 123 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,474 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students per year to attend BYU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Brigham Young University - Provo Public Administration & Social Service Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Global Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and it awarded 101 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Global Campus, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $14,954 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Colorado State University - Global Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Colorado State University - Global Campus Public Administration & Social Service Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, BYU - I has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,698 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 BYU - I
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest Nazarene University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. NNU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Nampa, Idaho. It awarded 68 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
NNU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NNU is $21,647 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 NNU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 94 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
UW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW is $11,085 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UW
With a ranking of #6, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 375 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, U of U has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,572 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend U of U.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at U of U
With a ranking of #7, Utah State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. USU is located in Logan, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 160 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
USU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Utah State University is $13,257 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at Utah State University
Colorado State University - Pueblo ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Colorado State University - Pueblo is a medium-sized public school situated in Pueblo, Colorado. It awarded 55 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, Colorado State University - Pueblo has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State University - Pueblo is $13,695 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Colorado State University - Pueblo
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 177 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, CU Anschutz has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CU Anschutz is $14,470 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full CU Anschutz Public Administration & Social Service Report
Weber State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Ogden, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, WSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,647 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Weber State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Weber State University Public Administration & Social Service Report
Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #11. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 191 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Colorado State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $18,679 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students per year to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
Boise State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Boise State is a large school located in Boise, Idaho that handed out 340 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Boise State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State is $16,153 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Boise State University Public Administration & Social Service Report
Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 341 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
MSU Denver also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver is $14,313 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at MSU Denver
Utah Valley University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. UVU is located in Orem, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, UVU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Utah Valley University is $9,955 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students.
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 Utah Valley University
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #15. UCCS is a fairly large public school situated in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It awarded 60 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region public administration & social service students list, UCCS has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCCS is $15,648 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Public Administration & Social Service Report
The University of Montana landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. The University of Montana is located in Missoula, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 120 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
UM also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Montana is $14,755 for rocky mountains region public administration & social service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Montana
Lewis - Clark State College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Lewis - Clark State College is a small school located in Lewiston, Idaho that handed out 44 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Lewis - Clark State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis - Clark State College is $10,775 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lewis - Clark State College
Southern Utah University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cedar City, Utah, and it awarded 60 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Utah University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Utah University is $13,578 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Southern Utah University
University of Denver ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. University of Denver is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 571 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
DU also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend DU is $33,830 for Rocky Mountains Region Public Administration & Social Service students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Denver Public Administration & Social Service Report
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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
- *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