2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Florida
[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for public administration students.
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2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Administration Schools
Florida Atlantic University tops our 2027 list of the best value public administration schools in Florida. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,879, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $19,804 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Florida Atlantic University generally make around $52,155. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Indian River State College earned it the #2 place for public administration. Indian River State College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fort Pierce. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,764, with out-of-state students paying around $10,201. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $10,492. Early-career public administration graduates make about $38,521. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Florida International University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration schools. Located in the suburb of Miami, Florida International University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,565 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,964 for out-of-state students. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $27,022 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Florida International University generally make around $52,689. That is a strong return on a $27,022 median debt. Florida International University admits about 55% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at St Petersburg College earned it the #4 place for public administration. Located in the city of St. Petersburg, St Petersburg College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,682, compared with $9,286 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $31,809 to complete the public administration program here. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from St Petersburg College generally make around $42,735. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in public administration will find it at University Of South Florida Main Campus, which ranked #5. University Of South Florida Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. Students from in state pay about $6,410 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Students borrow a median of $21,829 to complete the public administration program here. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of South Florida Main Campus generally make around $56,031. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Florida Main Campus admits about 43% of applicants.
University Of Central Florida placed #6 among the best values for public administration. Set in the suburb of Orlando, University Of Central Florida is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,368, compared with $22,467 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $22,453. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of Central Florida generally make around $49,212. Set against $22,453 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 40% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Florida ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration schools. Set in the city of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,964, compared with $19,407 for out-of-state students. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $18,523 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of University Of North Florida earn a median of $53,302 early in their careers. Set against $18,523 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 53% of applicants are accepted.
Florida State University placed #8 among the best values for public administration. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,517, compared with $21,683 for out-of-state students. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $20,125 in student loans. Early-career public administration graduates make about $49,466. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Florida State University admits about 24% of applicants.
Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #9 spot for public administration value this year. Located in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,118, while out-of-state students pay about $25,162. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $20,015. Public Administration graduates of Florida Gulf Coast University earn a median of $54,883 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,015 median debt. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Barry University came in at #10 for value in public administration this year. Set in the suburb of Miami, Barry University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,350 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,728 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of Barry University earn a median of $84,607 early in their careers. Set against $25,728 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Barry University admits about 77% of applicants.
Nova Southeastern University earned the #11 position for value in public administration this year. Set in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,700. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $25,021. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Nova Southeastern University generally make around $66,078. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Flagler College St Augustine landed the #12 spot for public administration value this year. Set in the suburb of Saint Augustine, Flagler College St Augustine is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $29,900. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $21,485 in student loans. Early-career public administration graduates make about $61,613. Set against $21,485 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Flagler College St Augustine admits about 81% of applicants.
Florida Institute Of Technology landed the #13 spot for public administration value this year. Set in the city of Melbourne, Florida Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,900. Students borrow a median of $32,114 to complete the public administration program here. Early-career public administration graduates make about $69,878. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Florida Institute Of Technology admits about 58% of applicants.
University Of Miami came in at #14 for value in public administration this year. Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, University Of Miami is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $62,616 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $17,750. Early-career public administration graduates make about $69,710. Set against $17,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 19% of applicants are accepted.
Lynn University came in at #15 for value in public administration this year. Lynn University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boca Raton. Students from in state pay about $44,480 in tuition and fees. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $21,391 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Lynn University generally make around $50,569. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
