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 Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

58 Ranked Colleges
2,781 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 97,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Plains States region, there were 8,017 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,446 and $33,829 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,781 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 58 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

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 Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#1

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Minot, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

MSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $11,898 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Full Minot State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 61 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Minnesota State Mankato

#3

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Winona State University is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 79 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Winona State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Winona State University

#4

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#21 in overall quality

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Cloud State University landed the #4 spot on the list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 57 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,267 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Saint Cloud State University

#5

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - St Louis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. UMSL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 77 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Missouri - St Louis

#6

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

Bemidji State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Bemidji, Minnesota, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bemidji State University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $15,868 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Full Bemidji State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#4 in overall quality

University of North Dakota ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Forks, North Dakota 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 97 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, UND has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UND

#8

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#11 in overall quality

Metropolitan 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 Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 146 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Metro State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,225 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Metropolitan State University.

Full Metropolitan State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. 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 Northern Iowa Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

MSU Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $16,893 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #11, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,053 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend FHSU.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at FHSU

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 43 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $14,040 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Public Administration & Social Service Report

#13

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Pittsburg State University is located in Pittsburg, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Pittsburg State University is $14,436 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Pittsburg State University

#14

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Joseph, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,958 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Missouri Western.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Missouri Western

#15

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend University of Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Iowa

#16

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska
#25 in overall quality

Bellevue University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bellevue University is a fairly large school located in Bellevue, Nebraska that handed out 29 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Bellevue University also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $15,616 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Full Bellevue University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#10 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#18

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Central Missouri is a medium-sized public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 50 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,677 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend UCM.

Full University of Central Missouri Public Administration & Social Service Report

#19

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas

Washburn University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Topeka, Kansas 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 40 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Washburn University is $14,481 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Full Washburn University Public Administration & Social Service Report

With a ranking of #20, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,397 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Southwest Minnesota State University

#21

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Kansas State University

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Public Administration & Social Service Report

#23

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

With a ranking of #23, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. WSU is located in Wichita, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend WSU.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at WSU

#24

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

St Catherine University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. St. Kate’s is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 49 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, St. Kate’s has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Catherine University is $19,078 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at St Catherine University

#25

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,774 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Southeast Missouri State 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