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

56 Ranked Colleges
10,929 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 56 colleges that offered a degree in public administration and social service. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration and social service programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin Community College District. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Austin Community College District not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $3,134 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Austin Community College District

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 279 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Public Administration & Social Service Report

#3

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #3 spot on the list. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 125 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $904 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full South Texas College Public Administration & Social Service Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Tyler. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Tyler is a public institution located in Tyler, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Tyler not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $6,797 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Tyler.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UT Tyler

Texas Woman’s University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Woman’s University is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Woman’s University is $6,706 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full TWU Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7

San Juan College

Farmington, New Mexico

San Juan College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. San Juan College is a medium-sized school located in Farmington, New Mexico that handed out 27 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,586 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SJC.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SJC

#8

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Amarillo, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Amarillo College is $4,740 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Amarillo College Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #9, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 167 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,521 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Texas

Texas A&M International University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 9 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Texas A&M International University

#11

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

With a ranking of #11, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 138 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $11,454 for Southwest Region 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 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Public Administration & Social Service Report

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 347 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $12,203 for southwest region 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 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#13

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 12 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full MSU Texas Public Administration & Social Service Report

#14

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 71 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NSU is $7,614 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at NSU

With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 197 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $10,516 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UTSA

#16

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Angelo State University is a fairly large public school situated in San Angelo, Texas. It awarded 39 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State is $9,799 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Angelo State

#17

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #17, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 253 students in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $10,203 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Houston Public Administration & Social Service Report

#18

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, Texas

With a ranking of #18, Tyler Junior College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Tyler Junior College also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Tyler Junior College is $7,977 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Tyler Junior College Public Administration & Social Service Report

University of Houston - Clear Lake came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Clear Lake is $4,517 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UH Clear Lake

#20

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school awarded 48 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,317 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Texas Tech University

#21

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

With a ranking of #21, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lamar University is located in Beaumont, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,200 for southwest region 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 El Paso did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. UTEP is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,092 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at El Paso.

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

#23

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 85 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $10,562 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Arizona

#24

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school handed out 332 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $11,125 for southwest region public administration & social service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas State Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #25, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SFASU is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 133 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFASU is $8,650 for Southwest Region Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at SFASU

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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.

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