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2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in South 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.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public administration students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Administration Schools in South Carolina

2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in South Carolina

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

College Of Charleston
Charleston, SC

$12,978 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,733 Avg Student Debt

$56,416 Median Earnings (10yr)

College Of Charleston earned the #1 spot for value among public administration schools in South Carolina. Set in the city of Charleston, College Of Charleston is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,978 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,296. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $24,733. Early-career public administration graduates make about $51,115. Set against $24,733 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.

2

Clemson University
Clemson, SC

$15,554 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,783 Avg Student Debt

$71,513 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Clemson University earned it the #2 place for public administration. Clemson University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. Students from in state pay about $15,554 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $40,866. Students borrow a median of $23,783 to complete the public administration program here. Early-career public administration graduates make about $65,949. Set against $23,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 38%.

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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 1 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.