2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Arkansas
[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 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for public administration students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Arkansas
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
Leading the list is Arkansas State University Main Campus, our #1 best value for public administration in Arkansas. Set in the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,090 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,522. Students borrow a median of $23,399 to complete the public administration program here. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Arkansas State University Main Campus generally make around $64,900. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arkansas State University Main Campus admits about 82% of applicants.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,960, compared with $15,690 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $20,385. Early-career public administration graduates make about $41,723. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Arkansas At Little Rock one of the best values for public administration. Located in the city of Little Rock, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,911, with out-of-state students paying around $22,721. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $27,093. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of Arkansas At Little Rock generally make around $47,170. That is a strong return on a $27,093 median debt. Roughly 59% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 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.
