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2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region

20 Ranked Colleges
599 Degrees Awarded
$14,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking.

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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 3,557 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,345 and $43,969 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 599 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region.

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

#1

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Carolina University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. WCU is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WCU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Carolina University is $13,722 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at WCU

#2

Harding University

Searcy, Arkansas
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harding University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Searcy, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, Harding has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harding is $19,375 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Harding University Public Administration Report

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend Florida International University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Public Administration at FIU

#4

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indian River State College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Fort Pierce, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Indian River State College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $2,003 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Indian River State College.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indian River State College

#5

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida Atlantic University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

FAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,186 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend FAU.

Read more about Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University

#6

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. 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.

SPC also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend St Petersburg College is $3,226 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

Full St Petersburg College Public Administration Report

University of Central Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $10,274 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Central Florida

#8

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia, Arkansas
#16 in overall quality

Henderson State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Henderson State University is located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Henderson State University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Henderson State University is $10,270 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Henderson State University

#9

Flagler College - St Augustine

Saint Augustine, Florida

With a ranking of #9, Flagler College - St Augustine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Flagler St. Augustine is located in Saint Augustine, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Flagler St. Augustine 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. The estimated yearly cost for Flagler St. Augustine is $23,237 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

Full Flagler St. Augustine Public Administration Report

#10

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Fayetteville State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It awarded 12 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

Fayetteville State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,899 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend Fayetteville State University.

Read more about Public Administration at Fayetteville State University

#11

Southern University at New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana
#13 in overall quality

Southern University at New Orleans landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, this small public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNO, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern University at New Orleans is $7,632 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

Full Southern University at New Orleans Public Administration Report

#12

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. 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 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $22,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Public Administration at James Madison University

#13

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, Kentucky
#17 in overall quality

Kentucky State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #13. KY State is a small public school situated in Frankfort, Kentucky. It awarded 4 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

KY State also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Kentucky State University is $7,076 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

Full KY State Public Administration Report

#14

Rust College

Holly Springs, Mississippi
#20 in overall quality

Rust College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Rust College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Holly Springs, Mississippi. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, Rust College has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rust College is $11,317 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Rust College Public Administration Report

#15

Shaw University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#19 in overall quality

Shaw University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Shaw University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

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. It costs about $19,244 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Shaw University.

Read full report on Public Administration at Shaw University

#16

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

Liberty University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 7 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, Liberty University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $28,903 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students per year to attend Liberty University.

Read full report on Public Administration at Liberty University

#17

Barry University

Miami, Florida

Barry University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Barry University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 48 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, Barry University has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Barry University is $17,994 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at Barry University

#8 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 9 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $18,825 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#19

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Auburn is a large school located in Auburn, Alabama that handed out 10 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public admin students list, Auburn has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $24,104 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend Auburn.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 92%.

Full Auburn Public Administration Report

#20

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $21,048 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Admin students per year to attend GMU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at GMU

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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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