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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Rocky Mountains Region

20 Ranked Colleges
1,014 Degrees Awarded
$15,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.

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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 3,024 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,222 and $30,147 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,014 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking analyzed 20 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 Rocky Mountains Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Rocky Mountains Region

#1

Colorado State University - Global Campus

Greenwood Village, Colorado
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Global Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, this fairly large public school awarded 82 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Colorado State University - Global Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Colorado State University - Global Campus

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

BYU - I also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $7,167 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Public Administration & Social Service Report

#3

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wyoming is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $12,159 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend UW.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wyoming Public Administration & Social Service Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Weber State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region. Ogden, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Weber State University is $11,968 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at WSU

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Pueblo landed the #5 spot on the list. Colorado State University - Pueblo is located in Pueblo, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Colorado State University - Pueblo has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $14,653 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Colorado State University - Pueblo

#14 in overall quality

Utah Valley 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 Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Orem, Utah, this large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UVU is $9,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full Utah Valley University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#2 in overall quality

University of Utah landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. U of U is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 123 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,773 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend U of U.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#8

University of Phoenix - Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#19 in overall quality

University of Phoenix - Utah landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. UOPX - Utah is a small school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 2 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, UOPX - Utah has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Phoenix - Utah

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Utah State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Utah State University is a public institution located in Logan, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USU is $13,634 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at USU

#1 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Colorado State is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 99 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $18,668 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#11

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#10 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Colorado Mesa is a medium-sized public school situated in Grand Junction, Colorado. It awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Colorado Mesa University is $15,569 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Colorado Mesa

#12

Lewis - Clark State College

Lewiston, Idaho
#18 in overall quality

Lewis - Clark State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #12. Lewis - Clark State College is a small public school situated in Lewiston, Idaho. It awarded 27 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis - Clark State College also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis - Clark State College is $11,046 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lewis - Clark State College

#11 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 149 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, MSU Denver has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $14,257 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at MSU Denver

#14

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#6 in overall quality

Boise State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boise State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,787 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Boise State.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Boise State

#15

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho
#17 in overall quality

Idaho State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Pocatello, Idaho, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

ISU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Idaho State University is $16,810 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

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

#7 in overall quality

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #16. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a large public school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 21 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

CU Anschutz also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for CU Anschutz is $15,358 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at CU Anschutz

#17

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, The University of Montana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. The University of Montana is a public institution located in Missoula, Montana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $15,246 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend UM.

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

#18

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, UCCS has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is $16,486 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UCCS

#16 in overall quality

Northwest Nazarene University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This small school is located in Nampa, Idaho, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NNU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NNU is $20,708 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at NNU

#20

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado
#5 in overall quality

University of Denver came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. University of Denver is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 15 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

DU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $32,361 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend DU.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Full DU Public Administration & Social Service Report

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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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