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2023 Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region

20 Ranked Colleges
647 Degrees Awarded
$26,000 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor's

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 16,897 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 49th most popular in the United States.

Across the Southeast region, there were 3,743 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 647 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,400 and $27,180 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin.

Top 20 Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region

1
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.According to our most recent data, James Madison University supports 21,594 students, and 842 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 464 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. James Madison University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

2
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin list, GMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2,334 of the 38,541 students enrolled at GMU were GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. On top of their other funding sources, 42 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. GMU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full George Mason University Veteran Student Life Report

3
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Auburn University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Auburn University is a large school located in Auburn, Alabama that handed out 7 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Auburn also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 1,499 of the 30,737 students enrolled at Auburn were GI Bill® students, of which 746 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,423. To help with additional expenses, 68 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Liberty University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.According to our most recent data, Liberty University supports 93,349 students, and 13,282 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,888. To help with additional expenses, 386 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,079 of the 58,836 students enrolled at Florida International University were GI Bill® students, of which 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,771. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Florida International University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Florida International University Veteran Student Life Report

6

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Knoxville, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UT Knoxville supports 30,559 students, and 1,122 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 739 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,650. During this same period, 8 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UT Knoxville does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville]](/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee/student-life/veterans/)

7
Samford crest
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama

Samford University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Samford is a medium-sized school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 8 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Samford, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 5,729 students enrolled at Samford University, 162 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 101 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,201. In addition to receiving other benefits, 36 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

8

University of Central Florida ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 57 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Central Florida supports 71,881 students, and 2,263 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,216 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,995. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Central Florida offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UCF]](/colleges/university-of-central-florida/student-life/veterans/)

9
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

FAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Among the 30,805 students enrolled at FAU, 708 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 397 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,153. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. FAU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full Florida Atlantic University Veteran Student Life Report

10
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

WCU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 439 of the 12,243 students enrolled at WCU were GI Bill® students, of which 182 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,242. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WCU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

11
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #11, Fayetteville State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It awarded 12 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Fayetteville State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Among the 6,726 students enrolled at Fayetteville State University, 17 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $502. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Fayetteville State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Fayetteville State University]](/colleges/fayetteville-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

Barry University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. Barry University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 63 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin list, Barry University has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 7,515 students enrolled at Barry University, 22 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,141. To help with additional expenses, 12 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Barry University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Barry University Veteran Student Life Report

13
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

Harding University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Searcy, Arkansas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Harding did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.According to our most recent data, Harding supports 4,617 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,932. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

14
Flagler St. Augustine crest
Flagler College - St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Florida

Flagler College - St Augustine did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Saint Augustine, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin list, Flagler St. Augustine has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 130 of the 2,687 students enrolled at Flagler College - St Augustine were GI Bill® students, of which 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,461. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Flagler St. Augustine Veteran Student Life Report

15
KY State crest
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, Kentucky

With a ranking of #15, Kentucky State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Frankfort, Kentucky, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

KY State also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15.Among the 2,290 students enrolled at Kentucky State University, 40 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,836. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Kentucky State University]](/colleges/kentucky-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

16
Shaw University crest
Shaw University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Shaw University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shaw University, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking.Of the 1,283 students enrolled at Shaw University, 71 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

17
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. Indian River State College is a fairly large school located in Fort Pierce, Florida that handed out 21 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Indian River State College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 15,236 students enrolled at Indian River State College, 539 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 315 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,800. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Indian River State College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Indian River State College Veteran Student Life Report

18
Henderson State University crest
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas

With a ranking of #18, Henderson State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Henderson State University is a small public school situated in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Henderson State University also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #18.Among the 3,163 students enrolled at Henderson State University, 129 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 50 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,114. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Read More…

19
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. SPC is a large school located in Clearwater, Florida that handed out 30 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

SPC also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #20.Of the 26,430 students enrolled at SPC, 1,273 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 820 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,870. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full SPC Veteran Student Life Report

20

Southern University at New Orleans ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southeast Region for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list.Of the 2,264 students enrolled at Southern University at New Orleans, 90 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,473. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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