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2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

65 Ranked Colleges
7,888 Degrees Awarded
$15,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 98,583 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 7,888 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,821 and $32,372 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 65 colleges that offered a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.

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

1
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMSL is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UMSL

2

Out of the 65 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Des Moines Area Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Ankeny, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

DMACC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,557 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend DMACC.

Full DMACC Public Administration & Social Service Report

3
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Century College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. White Bear Lake, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

Century College also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,397 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Century College.

Full Century College Public Administration & Social Service Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools 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 2020-2021, this school awarded 136 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region public administration & social service students with aid list, Mizzou has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,559 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Missouri - Columbia

5
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Out of the 65 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Minot State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Minot State University is a public institution located in Minot, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $12,205 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at MSU

6

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 103 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Public Administration & Social Service Report

7

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 242 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region public administration & social service students with aid list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 93%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Public Administration & Social Service Report

8
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 174 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Iowa Public Administration & Social Service Report

9
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 181 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

UND also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $16,966 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Dakota

10

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 221 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,914 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNOMAHA

11
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

With a ranking of #11, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 133 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,438 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UNI

12
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 108 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,581 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

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

13
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 91 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,634 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Winona State

14
Saint Louis Community College crest
Saint Louis Community College
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Louis Community College is $7,056 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

Full Saint Louis Community College Public Administration & Social Service Report

15
LATI crest
Lake Area Technical Institute
Watertown, South Dakota

With a ranking of #15, Lake Area Technical Institute did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Watertown, South Dakota, and it awarded 52 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for LATI is $13,301 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lake Area Technical Institute

16

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 57 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

MSU Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $17,680 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

17
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

With a ranking of #17, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 62 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region public administration & social service students with aid list, K -State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $18,433 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at K -State

18
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 204 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $14,859 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

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

19
USD crest
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. USD is a public institution located in Vermillion, South Dakota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of South Dakota is $19,389 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of South Dakota Public Administration & Social Service Report

20
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska

With a ranking of #20, Bellevue University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bellevue, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $17,288 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Bellevue University Public Administration & Social Service Report

21

Minneapolis Community and Technical College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,908 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Minneapolis Community and Technical College

22
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 290 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $20,257 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 KU

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNK is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 44 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Kearney is $17,099 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The undergrad 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNK

24
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 163 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University is $16,044 for plains states region public administration & social service students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Metro State Public Administration & Social Service Report

25

Fort Hays State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hays, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $13,189 for Plains States Region Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Fort Hays State University

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