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2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Southeast Region

84 Ranked Colleges
3,743 Degrees Awarded
$15,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region

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 Admin Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Southeast region, there were 3,743 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 84 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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The public admin 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 Admin Schools in the Southeast Region”.

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 Admin Schools in the Southeast Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region public admin students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Southeast Region

1
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Liberty University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 196 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Liberty University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $29,382 for Southeast Region Public Admin students per year to attend Liberty University.

Read more about Public Administration at Liberty University

2
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Carolina University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 86 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

WCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,924 for Southeast Region Public Admin students per year to attend Western Carolina University.

Read full report on Public Administration at Western Carolina University

3
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 88 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,563 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at American Public University System

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 262 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,298 for southeast region public admin students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at FIU

5
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Clemson University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region. Clemson University is a large school located in Clemson, South Carolina that handed out 45 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Clemson is $21,262 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Clemson University Public Administration Report

6

Arkansas State University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 121 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,189 for Southeast Region Public Admin students per year to attend A-State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Arkansas State University - Main Campus

7
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

FAU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $10,735 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at FAU

8
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama

Troy University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. TROY is a fairly large school located in Troy, Alabama that handed out 76 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,992 for southeast region public admin students per year to attend Troy University.

Read full report on Public Administration at TROY

9
Belhaven crest
Belhaven University
Jackson, Mississippi

Belhaven University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Belhaven is a small school located in Jackson, Mississippi that handed out 50 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Belhaven University is $16,228 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Belhaven Public Administration Report

10
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #10, Barry University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 195 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barry University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,539 for southeast region public admin students per year to attend Barry University.

Full Barry University Public Administration Report

11
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $14,257 for southeast region public admin students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 at UGA

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Arkansas at Little Rock did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a medium-sized public school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 25 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UA Little Rock is $16,065 for southeast region public admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

12
Jackson State crest
Jackson State University
Jackson, Mississippi

With a ranking of #12, Jackson State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Jackson State University is a public institution located in Jackson, Mississippi. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Jackson State University is $18,152 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at Jackson State University

14
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Tech

15
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Appalachian State University is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 40 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Appalachian State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,989 for southeast region public admin students per year to attend Appalachian State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 at Appalachian State University

16
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Regent is a fairly large school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 32 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $24,888 for southeast region public admin students per year to attend Regent University.

Full Regent Public Administration Report

17
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #17, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. ECU is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend ECU is $16,550 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at ECU

18
KY State crest
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky

With a ranking of #18, Kentucky State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. KY State is a public institution located in Frankfort, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,343 for Southeast Region Public Admin students per year to attend KY State.

Read more about Public Administration at KY State

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

UAB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,530 for Southeast Region Public Admin students per year to attend UAB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 UAB Public Administration Report

20

University of Central Florida came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 222 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $8,618 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 UCF Public Administration Report

21
Savannah State University crest
Savannah State University
Savannah, Georgia

Savannah State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Savannah State University is located in Savannah, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,157 for southeast region public admin students per year to attend Savannah State University.

Full Savannah State University Public Administration Report

22
VSU crest
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Valdosta, Georgia, and it awarded 43 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,240 for Southeast Region Public Admin students per year to attend VSU.

Read more about Public Administration at Valdosta State University

23
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public admin students list, Florida State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $9,946 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Florida State

24
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 79 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $22,562 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 James Madison University Public Administration Report

25
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southeast Region list. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Florida is $8,865 for Southeast Region Public Admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of North Florida

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Notes and References

References

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