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2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Montana

[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for public administration students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Administration Schools in Montana

2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Montana

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public administration degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Public Administration Schools

1

The University Of Montana
Missoula, MT

$8,552 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,342 Avg Student Debt

$44,511 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in public administration, no school beat The University Of Montana this year. Set in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,552, with out-of-state students paying around $33,671. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $24,342 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from The University Of Montana generally make around $49,746. That is a strong return on a $24,342 median debt. The acceptance rate is 96%.

2

Montana State University
Bozeman, MT

$8,460 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,635 Avg Student Debt

$53,263 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Montana State University one of the best values for public administration. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,460, while out-of-state students pay about $33,287. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $23,635. Early-career public administration graduates make about $47,703. Set against $23,635 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Montana State University admits about 82% of applicants.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.