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2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

34 Ranked Colleges
1,956 Degrees Awarded
$9,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Southwest 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 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 34 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 cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Tyler is $7,058 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 $30-$48k. South Texas College is located in McAllen, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $1,390 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at South Texas College

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNT has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $9,082 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 North Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Laredo, Texas, and it awarded 9 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $2,298 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. 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 College Station is $13,270 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 121 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,109 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Public Administration Report

#8

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. San Antonio College is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,189 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Antonio College.

Full San Antonio College Public Administration Report

#9

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 9 degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $9,925 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UH Public Administration Report

#10

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 ’s 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 $11,466 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Arizona

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 56 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $11,745 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

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 full report on Public Administration at The University of Texas at Dallas

#12

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Texas A&M University is a fairly large school located in Canyon, Texas that handed out 6 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $10,146 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at West Texas A&M University

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 $30-$48k ranking. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 19 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UTEP also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,427 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at UTEP

#14

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 13 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,326 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Public Administration at Texas Tech University

#15

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $12,292 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Texas State University Public Administration Report

#16

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lamar University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $10,631 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Lamar University

With a ranking of #17, University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Houston - Clear Lake is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UH Clear Lake also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UH Clear Lake is $7,941 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at UH Clear Lake

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $7,006 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NMSU Main Campus Public Administration Report

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 133 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Arlington has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Arlington is $12,974 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at UT Arlington

#20

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SHSU is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SHSU is $11,634 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at Sam Houston State University

#21

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 19 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $9,799 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northern Arizona University Public Administration Report

#21

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $12,020 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Public Administration at ASU - Skysong

University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 165 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Phoenix - Arizona is $13,378 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Public Administration at UOPX - Arizona

With a ranking of #23, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,816 for southwest region public admin students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Public Administration at SFASU

University of Central Oklahoma landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCO is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $13,381 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Central Oklahoma Public Administration Report

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 50 ’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $17,285 for Southwest Region Public Admin students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

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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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