2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region” 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,956 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,336 and $35,041 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,379 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 26 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 Master’s in the Southwest Region” list to help you make the college 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. 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 for a Master’s in the Southwest Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree public admin students.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration in the Southwest Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. UOPX - Arizona is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Phoenix - Arizona are $17,096, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Phoenix - Arizona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Canyon University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 266 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Grand Canyon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Canyon University are $11,436, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Public Administration at Grand Canyon University
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 #3 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 72 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.
Read full report on Public Administration at UT Rio Grande Valley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Skysong. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
ASU - Skysong also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Skysong are $6,724, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Public Administration at Arizona State University - Skysong
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 for a Master’s in the Southwest Region. UNT is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 112 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M College Station are $22,743.
Read more about Public Administration at Texas A&M College Station
Tarleton State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 17 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Tarleton also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Tarleton State University are $15,485.
With a ranking of #8, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. UT Arlington is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Arlington, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Arlington are $23,376, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Texas State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas State are $17,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. UT Tyler is a public institution located in Tyler, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree public admin students list, UT Tyler has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Tyler are $16,308, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Public Administration at The University of Texas at Tyler
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus are $23,236, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. UCO is located in Edmond, Oklahoma and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCO are $17,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Texas Southern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #13. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.
TSU also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. Average graduate tuition and fees at TSU are $13,221, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Administration at Texas Southern University
Northern Arizona University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
NAU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Arizona University are $19,489, but some majors have different tuition rates.
The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #15. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Dallas are $28,610, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2019-2020.
UH also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Houston are $18,689, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Houston
With a ranking of #17, Wayland Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Wayland Baptist University is located in Plainview, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree public admin students list, Wayland Baptist University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayland Baptist University are $14,710.
Read full report on Public Administration at Wayland Baptist University
The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 50 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
UTSA also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at UTSA are $25,807, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Texas Tech University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 13 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Tech University are $17,530, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Sam Houston State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. SHSU is a large public school situated in Huntsville, Texas. It awarded 15 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SHSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SHSU are $15,704, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. The University of Texas at El Paso is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree public admin students list, UTEP has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UTEP are $16,180, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. UNM is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 48 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of New Mexico - Main Campus are $19,890, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Administration at University of New Mexico - Main Campus
New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 7 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at New Mexico State University - Main Campus are $18,275, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #24, Texas A&M International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 9 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Administration at Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is a fairly large public school situated in Corpus Christi, Texas. It awarded 29 masters’s public admin degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi also took the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M Corpus Christi are $15,683, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Public Administration at Texas A&M Corpus Christi
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
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