2023 Best Value Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Public Administration Master's Degree School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, public administration was ranked #59 in the country. In fact 16,905 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 24 schools in the Plains States Region to see which master's degree programs offered the best value experiences for public admin students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Minnesota State University - Mankato the best value school in the Plains States Region for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $9,308 a year.
Full Public Administration at Minnesota State University - Mankato Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Dakota. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. USD is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Vermillion.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at USD are $12,768 per year.
Full Public Administration at University of South Dakota Report
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Metropolitan State University is a great value for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Metro State are $10,237 per year.
Read full report on Public Administration at Metropolitan State University
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hamline University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Hamline are $10,402 per year.
Read full report on Public Administration at Hamline University
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Park University are $6,435 a year.
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, Drake University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Des Moines.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Drake are $11,988 per year.
Drake also took the #4 spot in our Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region rankings.
Read full report on Public Administration at Drake University
Request Information
Saint Cloud State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at St. Cloud State University are $13,412 per year.
Read full report on Public Administration at Saint Cloud State University
Request Information
Lindenwood University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the small city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Lindenwood University graduate students pay an average of $9,784 in tuition and fees each year.
Request Information
With a ranking of #10, Bellevue University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Bellevue.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Bellevue University are $11,730 per year.
Read full report on Public Administration at Bellevue University
Request InformationBest Public Administration Colleges by State
Explore the best public administration schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 368 |
| Minnesota | 504 |
| Kansas | 147 |
| Iowa | 114 |
| Nebraska | 110 |
| North Dakota | 24 |
| South Dakota | 37 |
More Public Administration Rankings in the Plains States Region
Public Administration Related Majors for Public Admin
Public Administration is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Public Admin
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 58,326 |
| Human Services | 13,238 |
| Public Policy | 6,430 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 3,096 |
| Other Public Administration | 588 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 24 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
.jpg){kind=link}
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© 2025 Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.