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2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

22 Ranked Colleges
1,347 Degrees Awarded
$50,152 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 1,834 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,251 and $29,257 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in public administration. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin.

Top 22 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 106 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1.According to our most recent data, Texas A&M University - College Station supports 70,418 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,925. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M College Station]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 27,772 students enrolled at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, 12 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,720. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Arlington. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 73 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, UT Arlington has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 48,072 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Arlington, 2,109 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,211 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,630. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of Texas at Arlington offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Texas at Arlington]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/student-life/veterans/)

4
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 27 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Arizona also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Arizona supports 45,601 students, and 2,131 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,478 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,880. On top of their other funding sources, 31 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read More…

5

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #5 spot on the list. UTSA is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 43 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UTSA also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10.Our most recent data shows that 3,565 of the 34,742 students enrolled at UTSA were GI Bill® students, of which 1,847 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,531. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

6
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

Grand Canyon University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Grand Canyon University is located in Phoenix, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Grand Canyon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, Grand Canyon University supports 103,427 students, and 7,172 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4,951 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,970. To help with additional expenses, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read More…

7

With a ranking of #7, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 40 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 40,953 students enrolled at University of North Texas, 2,038 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,138 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,999. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

8

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, UT Dallas has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 28,669 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas, 752 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 458 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,706. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

9
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #9, Texas State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 37 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State University, 2,559 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,635. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

10

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying public admin list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 871 of the 32,441 students enrolled at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley were GI Bill® students, of which 302 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,560. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

11
Tarleton crest
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Tarleton State University is a fairly large public school situated in Stephenville, Texas. It awarded 22 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Tarleton also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12.Our most recent data shows that 755 of the 14,016 students enrolled at Tarleton State University were GI Bill® students, of which 317 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,304. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

12

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 41 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UNM also made our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21.Of the 22,311 students enrolled at University of New Mexico - Main Campus, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of New Mexico - Main Campus]](/colleges/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

13

University of Central Oklahoma ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. University of Central Oklahoma is a fairly large public school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 20 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UCO also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 14,132 students enrolled at University of Central Oklahoma, 934 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 428 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,062. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

14
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,055 of the 29,566 students enrolled at Northern Arizona University were GI Bill® students, of which 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,378. On top of their other funding sources, 56 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northern Arizona University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

15
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #15, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 masters’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Texas Tech also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,242 of the 40,322 students enrolled at Texas Tech University were GI Bill® students, of which 630 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,480. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read More…

16

Stephen F Austin State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 9 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 12,620 students enrolled at SFASU, 427 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 177 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,500. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

17

University of Phoenix - Arizona ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 160 degrees to qualified masters’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 135 of the 89,763 students enrolled at UOPX - Arizona were GI Bill® students, of which 157 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,437. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UOPX - Arizona]](/colleges/university-of-phoenix-arizona/student-life/veterans/)

18

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 9 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

NMSU Main Campus also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 14,227 students enrolled at New Mexico State University - Main Campus, 620 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 285 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,880. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report

19

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Corpus Christi, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi also took the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 773 of the 10,820 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi were GI Bill® students, of which 357 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,191. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M Corpus Christi]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-corpus-christi/student-life/veterans/)

20

Texas Southern University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s list. Texas Southern University is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 48 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 7,015 students enrolled at TSU, 441 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 179 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,426. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. TSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full TSU Veteran Student Life Report

21

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 18 masters’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

UTEP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, UTEP supports 24,879 students, and 1,873 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 942 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,990. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

22

Wayland Baptist University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Public Admin for a Master’s ranking. Plainview, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public admin degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

Wayland Baptist University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 4,062 students enrolled at Wayland Baptist University, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,578. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

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