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2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

40 Ranked Colleges
3,399 Degrees Awarded
$20,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 3,399 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,633 and $24,420 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking looked at 40 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Middle Atlantic Region” 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration in the Middle Atlantic Region

1
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Villanova University landed the #1 spot on the list. Villanova is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Villanova did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Villanova is $43,577 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Villanova University Public Administration Report

2
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 55 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

WCUPA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $21,484 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students per year to attend WCUPA.

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

Full WCUPA Public Administration Report

3

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Teaneck, New Jersey, and it awarded 94 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FDU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus is $12,069 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus

4

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland Global Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Maryland Global Campus is located in Adelphi, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

UMGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland Global Campus is $15,395 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 UMGC

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hudson Valley Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in Troy, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend HVCC is $7,927 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at HVCC

6
Marist crest
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Marist College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 83 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public admin students list, Marist has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Marist College is $36,709 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Full Marist Public Administration Report

7
Ship crest
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #7, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Ship is a public institution located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ship also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $23,006 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Ship

8

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public admin students list, Kutztown University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University is $23,227 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

Full Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Public Administration Report

9
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 18 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public admin students list, UD has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UD is $18,967 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Delaware

10

Delaware State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #10. Del State is a medium-sized school located in Dover, Delaware that handed out 11 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Del State is $14,866 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Delaware State University

11

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 280 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

John Jay also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $2,699 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

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

Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Public Administration Report

12
Bowie State University crest
Bowie State University
Bowie, Maryland

Bowie State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Bowie, Maryland is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Bowie State University is $15,773 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at Bowie State University

13
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

University at Albany came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. UAlbany is located in Albany, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAlbany, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UAlbany is $18,355 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University at Albany

14
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 208 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Baruch also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Baruch is $2,264 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Baruch

15
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 74 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $37,042 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell University Public Administration Report

16
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 67 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GWU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GWU is $32,563 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at GWU

17
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, New York

LIU Post came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Brookville, New York, and it awarded 29 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

LIU Post not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $26,069 for middle atlantic region public admin students per year to attend LIU Post.

The impressive undergraduate 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 LIU Post

18
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in Newark, New Jersey, and it awarded 139 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Rutgers Newark not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $15,996 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students per year to attend Rutgers University - Newark.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 full report on Public Administration at Rutgers University - Newark

19
UB crest
University of Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland

University of Baltimore ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. University of Baltimore is a small public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UB also made our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $17,206 for middle atlantic region public admin students per year to attend University of Baltimore.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Baltimore

20

Metropolitan College of New York landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan College of New York is $23,648 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Public Administration at MCNY

21
Kean crest
Kean University
Union, New Jersey

Kean University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Union, New Jersey is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Kean is $18,191 for middle atlantic region public admin students.

Read full report on Public Administration at Kean University

22
Medgar crest
Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, New York

Medgar Evers College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 31 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Medgar is $6,689 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

Read more about Public Administration at Medgar Evers College

23
Alfred crest
Alfred University
Alfred, New York

Alfred University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Alfred University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Alfred, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $22,685 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students per year to attend Alfred.

Read full report on Public Administration at Alfred University

24
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

Binghamton University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #24. Vestal, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

Binghamton University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $20,703 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students per year to attend Binghamton University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration at Binghamton University

25
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #25, American University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Admin Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. The American University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public admin students list, The American University has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The American University is $40,088 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Admin students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at American University

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