2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in North Carolina

[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public administration education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value public administration schools.
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2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Administration Schools
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill tops our 2027 list of the best value public administration schools in North Carolina. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $15,117 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $66,534 early in their careers. Set against $15,117 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Pembroke earned it the #2 place for public administration. Set in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,648, with out-of-state students paying around $7,648. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $27,089 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Pembroke earn a median of $46,323 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,089 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earned it the #3 place for public administration. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,661, compared with $24,012 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,977 to complete the public administration program here. Early-career public administration graduates make about $48,682. Set against $24,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Carolina University earned it the #4 place for public administration. Western Carolina University is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, with out-of-state students paying around $8,630. Students borrow a median of $18,375 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $54,286 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Western Carolina University admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration schools. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $24,673 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte generally make around $59,111. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
North Carolina Central University earned the #6 position for value in public administration this year. Set in the city of Durham, North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,699, while out-of-state students pay about $19,735. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $31,173 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of North Carolina Central University earn a median of $51,559 early in their careers. Set against $31,173 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
East Carolina University placed #7 among the best values for public administration. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, compared with $23,638 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $24,747. Public Administration graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $51,931 early in their careers. Set against $24,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Appalachian State University placed #8 among the best values for public administration. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,579, with out-of-state students paying around $25,212. Students borrow a median of $21,992 to complete the public administration program here. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Appalachian State University generally make around $46,655. That is a strong return on a $21,992 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration schools. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $22,113 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $51,393 early in their careers. Set against $22,113 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
Gardner Webb University placed #10 among the best values for public administration. Set in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,750. Students borrow a median of $25,033 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of Gardner Webb University earn a median of $63,220 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,033 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington came in at #11 for value in public administration this year. Located in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,277, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $23,013 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn a median of $50,764 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington admits about 64% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.