2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Public Administration is the 47th most popular major in the country with 17,269 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 12,512 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 269 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration 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 program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 Admin Schools for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 210 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Walden University is in the top on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Walden University are $10,716.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Seattle University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Seattle University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 42 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Seattle U also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Seattle University are $14,040.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 71 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at BYU are $7,510.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hamline University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Hamline is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hamline are $11,577, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 269 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, South Dakota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USD is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Dakota are $12,637.
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 15 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State Mankato are $8,788, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California Baptist University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 30 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal Baptist is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California Baptist University are $14,140.
Read full report on Public Administration at California Baptist University
Park University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Park University is located in Parkville, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Park University are $6,224, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Administration at Park University
Capella University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Capella University are $14,767, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Anna Maria College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Anna Maria is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Paxton, Massachusetts. It awarded 101 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Anna Maria are $10,530, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #11, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 97 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Liberty University are $8,349, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 226 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN excels when it comes to public admin quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Northridge
Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 13 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Lindenwood University are $9,550, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Administration at Lindenwood University
Villanova University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. Villanova, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.
Villanova did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Villanova University are $20,719, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #15, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school awarded 123 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UOPX - Arizona are $17,096.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Phoenix - Arizona
American Public University System came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 89 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at American Military University are $7,050.
Read full report on Public Administration at American Military University
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757.
Read more about Public Administration at University of Illinois at Springfield
Grand Canyon University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this large private for-profit school awarded 266 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Canyon University are $11,436, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Golden Gate University - San Francisco came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking. Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 37 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Golden Gate University - San Francisco excels when it comes to public admin quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Golden Gate University - San Francisco are $19,705.
Full Golden Gate University - San Francisco Public Administration Report
Westfield State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Westfield is a medium-sized school located in Westfield, Massachusetts that handed out 15 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Westfield are $6,696, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Administration at Westfield State University
Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #21. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Missouri State University - Springfield are $12,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #22, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 125 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, CSULB also did well on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Administration at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #23, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at St. Cloud State University are $12,904.
Read full report on Public Administration at St. Cloud State University
With a ranking of #24, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s list. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WCUPA is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at WCUPA are $16,758, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Grand Valley State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 33 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at GVSU are $17,448, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Grand Valley State University Public Administration Report
Rest of the Best 41 in Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s
Not only did these schools make the top 41 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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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