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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k)

97 Ranked Colleges
3,117 Degrees Awarded
$42,798 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 17,269 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 58th most popular in the United States. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,117 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 97 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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 For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration (Income $48-$75k)

Out of the 97 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #1 spot on the list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

FIU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $10,298 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida International University Public Administration Report

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Out of the 97 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 593 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,060 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Bloomington

#3

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baruch College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch College is $7,954 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Baruch Public Administration Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. John Jay is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 67 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $7,751 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at CSUN

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 40 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,427 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 California State University - Fullerton Public Administration Report

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 12 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,287 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Brigham Young University - Idaho

University of Central Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 65 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $11,161 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Central Florida

With a ranking of #10, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 93 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,982 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive 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 Ohio State

#11

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,889 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indian River State College.

Read more about Public Administration at Indian River State College

#12

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Winona State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 6 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $15,140 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Winona State University Public Administration Report

#13

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Clearwater, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SPC is $6,402 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at SPC

#14

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $13,304 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. IU Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 5 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Northwest is $9,473 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at IU Northwest

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,314 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

Read more about Public Administration at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#17

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $11,101 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#18

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,165 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read full report on Public Administration at UW - Stevens Point

#19

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 11 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $15,729 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 UNI Public Administration Report

#20

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#9 in overall quality

University of North Dakota came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of North Dakota is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k list, UND has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $15,109 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Public Administration at University of North Dakota

#21

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 45 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

WCU also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $14,063 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at WCU

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UTSA is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at San Antonio is $13,827 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Public Administration Report

#22

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida Atlantic University is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $11,786 for bachelor’s degree public admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at FAU

#24

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #24, Texas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 39 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $14,250 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Administration at Texas State

#25

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $11,857 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Illinois at Springfield

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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