2027 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Rhode Island

[Public Administration & Social Service](/majors/social-services-public-administration/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public administration & social service students.
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2027 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Rhode Island
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration & social service, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Leading the list is Community College Of Rhode Island, our #1 best value for public administration & social service in Rhode Island. Located in the city of Warwick, Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,550, compared with $14,834 for out-of-state students. Public Administration & Social Service graduates carry a median of $12,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Community College Of Rhode Island generally make around $39,680. Set against $12,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Rhode Island College earned it the #2 place for public administration & social service. Rhode Island College is a large public school located in the suburb of Providence. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,300, compared with $27,299 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public administration & social service graduates is $24,100. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Rhode Island College generally make around $43,945. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rhode Island College admits about 92% of applicants.
University Of Rhode Island came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration & social service schools. University Of Rhode Island is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kingston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,942, while out-of-state students pay about $37,146. Typical student debt for public administration & social service graduates is $23,500. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from University Of Rhode Island generally make around $53,963. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Brown University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration & social service schools. Brown University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. Students from in state pay about $71,312 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public administration & social service graduates is $10,345. Early-career public administration & social service graduates make about $59,863. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
Roger Williams University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value public administration & social service schools. Located in the suburb of Bristol, Roger Williams University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,197. Typical student debt for public administration & social service graduates is $25,676. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Roger Williams University generally make around $64,783. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.