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2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region

141 Ranked Colleges
19,866 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Southeast region, there were 19,866 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,709 and $29,395 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking, we looked at 141 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The public administration & social service school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Southeast Region

1
Cumberlands crest
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of the Cumberlands. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region. Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,476 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Cumberlands.

Full Cumberlands Public Administration & Social Service Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rasmussen University - Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Ocala, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,249 for southeast region public administration & social service students per year to attend Rasmussen University - Florida.

Full Rasmussen University - Florida Public Administration & Social Service Report

3
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school awarded 112 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,563 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at American Military University

4
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Out of the 141 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Atlantic University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school handed out 287 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

FAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,735 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.

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

Full FAU Public Administration & Social Service Report

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Out of the 141 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #5 spot on the list. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 495 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $29,382 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full Liberty University Public Administration & Social Service Report

6
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Western Carolina University is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,924 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full WCU Public Administration & Social Service Report

7
Southern Adventist crest
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Adventist University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Southern Adventist is a small school located in Collegedale, Tennessee that handed out 60 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Adventist is $23,733 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Adventist

8
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee

Union University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Union is located in Jackson, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Union University is $29,990 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Union University

9

With a ranking of #9, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 341 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,298 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at FIU

10
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 47 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region public administration & social service students list, Clemson has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clemson University is $21,262 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Clemson

11

University of North Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. University of North Alabama is a medium-sized public school situated in Florence, Alabama. It awarded 118 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Alabama is $13,699 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

Full University of North Alabama Public Administration & Social Service Report

12

With a ranking of #12, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school awarded 154 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,129 for southeast region public administration & social service students per year to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Florida State College at Jacksonville

13
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #13, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. UofM is a public institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Memphis is $13,904 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full University of Memphis Public Administration & Social Service Report

14
Jackson State crest
Jackson State University
Jackson, Mississippi

Jackson State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, this medium-sized public school handed out 160 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Jackson State is $18,152 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

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

15

Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 204 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for A-State is $14,189 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Arkansas State University - Main Campus

15
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #15, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 130 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

ECU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,550 for southeast region public administration & social service students per year to attend ECU.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at East Carolina University

17
Campbellsville University crest
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, Kentucky

Campbellsville University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Campbellsville, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 255 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Campbellsville University is $19,819 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Campbellsville University

18
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Murray, Kentucky is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $11,736 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Murray State

19
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 170 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $3,786 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full Indian River State College Public Administration & Social Service Report

19

With a ranking of #19, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 302 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa excels when it comes to public administration and social service quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,346 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of South Florida - Main Campus

21
Southern Miss crest
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this fairly large public school handed out 124 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Mississippi is $14,032 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

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

22
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama

Troy University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Troy, Alabama, and it awarded 478 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend TROY is $14,992 for Southeast Region Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at TROY

23
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 160 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,946 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Florida State University

24
TU crest
Thomas University
Thomasville, Georgia

With a ranking of #24, Thomas University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Thomas University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Thomasville, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $22,613 for southeast region public administration & social service students per year to attend Thomas University.

Full TU Public Administration & Social Service Report

25

University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 144 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $11,629 for southeast region public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UNC Greensboro

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Notes and References

References

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