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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

12 Ranked Colleges
143 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Plains States region, there were 1,443 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,408 and $49,259 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 143 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Winona State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

Winona State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $13,606 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 at Winona State

#2

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UMSL also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $6,838 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Missouri - St Louis

#3

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,916 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UND.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of North Dakota

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNI has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $12,495 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UNI Public Administration Report

#5

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lindenwood University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lindenwood University.

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%.

Read more about Public Administration at Lindenwood University

#6

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas
#10 in overall quality

Washburn University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washburn University is located in Topeka, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Washburn University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washburn University is $12,850 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at Washburn University

#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $15,380 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration at KU

#8

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Buena Vista University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Storm Lake, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

BVU also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Buena Vista University is $12,773 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Public Administration at BVU

#9

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

Park University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Parkville, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Park University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,034 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Park University.

Read more about Public Administration at Park University

#10

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fayette, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIU is $17,928 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at UIU

#11

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Columbia College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia College Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Missouri is $24,862 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Columbia College

#13 in overall quality

Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Drury University - CCPS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Drury University - CCPS is $14,884 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Drury University - CCPS Public Administration Report

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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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