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2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

33 Ranked Colleges
1,956 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Public Administration is the 58th most popular major in the country with 17,269 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $48,859 and had an average of $42,077 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,956 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,336 and $35,041 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 33 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Rio Grande Valley, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $2,993 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Public Administration Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Tyler. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Tyler is $6,797 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at UT Tyler

#3

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Texas College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $904 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at South Texas College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at Texas A&M International University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UNT Public Administration Report

Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Texas A&M University - College Station

With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, UTSA has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,516 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read more about Public Administration at UTSA

University of Houston - Clear Lake ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Houston - Clear Lake is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $4,517 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake.

Read more about Public Administration at UH Clear Lake

#9

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Antonio College is a fairly large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 38 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,183 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Antonio College.

Full San Antonio College Public Administration Report

#10

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #10, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 77 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,562 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Arizona

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 56 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Dallas has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $10,857 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at UT Dallas

#12

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $12,317 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration at Texas Tech

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 19 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UTEP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,092 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at UTEP

#14

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,203 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Houston.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UH Public Administration Report

#15

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Canyon, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $8,730 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at West Texas A&M University

#16

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $11,125 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Texas State University

#17

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $9,200 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lamar University Public Administration Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 7 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $6,896 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#19

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sam Houston State University is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 15 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Sam Houston State University is $10,561 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Sam Houston State University

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Arlington is $11,811 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at The University of Texas at Arlington

University of Phoenix - Arizona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 165 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona is $12,601 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration at UOPX - Arizona

Stephen F Austin State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 8 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,650 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFASU.

Read full report on Public Administration at SFASU

#23

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

NAU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $9,251 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NAU Public Administration Report

With a ranking of #24, University of Central Oklahoma did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Oklahoma is a fairly large public school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 26 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UCO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $12,297 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Oklahoma.

Full UCO Public Administration Report

#24

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 14 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,037 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ASU - Skysong.

Read full report on Public Administration at Arizona State University - Skysong

#25

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school handed out 48 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNM is $13,242 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration at UNM

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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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