2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina
19
Ranked Colleges
2,840
Degrees Awarded
$16,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 North Carolina, there were 2,840 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,037 and $27,190 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree 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. 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 North Carolina”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in North Carolina
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 387 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $12,469 for north carolina public administration & social service students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UNC Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Carolina University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 130 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our north carolina public administration & social service students list, ECU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $16,550 for north carolina public administration & social service students per year to attend East Carolina University.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at ECU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 192 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Appalachian State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,989 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 144 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Greensboro, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $11,629 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 209 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,411 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at North Carolina State University
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 78 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
NC A&T also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC A&T is $10,563 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
Full North Carolina A & T State University Public Administration & Social Service Report
Western Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #7. WCU is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,924 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Western Carolina University
University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #8. UNCW is located in Wilmington, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 178 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
UNCW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. It costs about $19,136 for north carolina public administration & social service students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Public Administration & Social Service Report
University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 197 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
UNC Charlotte also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $17,634 for north carolina public administration & social service students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 University of North Carolina at Charlotte
With a ranking of #10, Fayetteville State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Fayetteville State University is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
Fayetteville State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fayetteville State University is $6,969 for north carolina public administration & social service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Fayetteville State University
University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #11. Pembroke, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Pembroke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Pembroke is $10,792 for north carolina public administration & social service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNC Pembroke
North Carolina Central University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #12. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 181 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our north carolina public administration & social service students list, North Carolina Central University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina Central University is $14,332 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at North Carolina Central University
Winston - Salem State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Winston - Salem State University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WSSU is $12,415 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at WSSU
Johnson C Smith University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking. This small school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 64 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
JCSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend JCSU is $20,792 for north carolina public administration & social service students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Johnson C Smith University
Strayer University - North Carolina ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Morrisville, North Carolina, and it awarded 29 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Strayer University - North Carolina also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #19.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Strayer University - North Carolina
Barton College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Barton College is a small school located in Wilson, North Carolina that handed out 25 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Barton College also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $23,005 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Barton College.
Full Barton College Public Administration & Social Service Report
Lees - McRae College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Lees - McRae College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Lees - McRae College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lees - McRae College is $23,347 for north carolina public administration & social service students.
Full Lees - McRae College Public Administration & Social Service Report
Wingate University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking. Wingate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wingate, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Wingate also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $20,827 for North Carolina Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Wingate.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Wingate
Duke University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 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 North Carolina” list. It costs about $32,459 for north carolina public administration & social service students per year to attend Duke.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Duke University Public Administration & Social Service Report
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
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
- *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
.jpg){kind=link}