Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Public Administration & Social Service

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

42 Ranked Colleges
4,960 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 97,666 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 10,929 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,068 and $29,286 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,960 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 42 colleges that offer a degree in public administration and social service. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration and social service programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Rio Grande Valley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $2,993 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Public Administration & Social Service Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Woman’s University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. TWU is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for TWU is $6,706 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at TWU

#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 70 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.

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 about Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Texas

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 68 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 about Public Administration & Social Service at UT Austin

#5

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma
#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northeastern State University is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

NSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,614 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern State University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Northeastern State University

#6

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 12 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $7,703 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at MSU Texas

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#15 in overall quality

Texas Tech University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Texas Tech

#8

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas
#12 in overall quality

Angelo State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, Angelo State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Angelo State University.

Full Angelo State Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $8,650 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFASU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#19 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $4,517 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Houston - Clear Lake

#11

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 150 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $11,125 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Texas State

#12

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas
#25 in overall quality

Lamar University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,200 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lamar University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lamar University

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $10,516 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#14

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Northern Arizona University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 157 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k list, NAU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NAU is $9,251 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Arizona University Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 36 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UTEP is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of Texas at El Paso Public Administration & Social Service Report

#3 in overall quality

University of Phoenix - Arizona ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 692 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $12,601 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Phoenix - Arizona Public Administration & Social Service Report

#17

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 49 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Arizona

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 45 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,896 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#19

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #19, East Central University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ada, Oklahoma, this small public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $7,787 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at East Central University

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 234 students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Arlington is $11,811 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UT Arlington

With a ranking of #21, University of Houston - Downtown did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,065 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Houston - Downtown.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UH Downtown

#23 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Dallas is $10,857 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Texas at Dallas

Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Kingsville, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,105 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M Kingsville.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Texas A&M Kingsville

With a ranking of #24, Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Commerce, Texas, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,013 for southwest region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M Commerce.

Full Texas A&M Commerce Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, New Mexico
#9 in overall quality

Western New Mexico University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Silver City, New Mexico, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Western New Mexico University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western New Mexico University is $12,306 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Western New Mexico University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Public Administration Schools

Find Schools Near You