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Best Value Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Value Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

29 Colleges
$22,068 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$51,943 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 29 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for public admin students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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.

2023 Best Value Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region

Check out the public admin programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Public Administration Schools

#1

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD
$12,942 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of South Dakota the best value school in the Plains States Region for public administration students. USD is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Vermillion.

USD undergraduate students pay an average of $12,942 in tuition and fees each year.

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Our analysis found Minnesota State University - Mankato to be the best value school for public administration students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . 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 undergraduate student at Minnesota State Mankato are $18,200 a year.

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$9,394 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 29 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Metro State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,394 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Public Administration at Metropolitan State University Report

#4

Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN
$46,221 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 29 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Hamline University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Hamline are $46,221 a year.

Read full report on Public Administration at Hamline University

#5

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

Out of the 29 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Des Moines.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Drake are $45,912 a year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Drake also did well on our Best Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Public Administration at Drake University

Winona State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Winona State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,684 in tuition and fees each year.

Winona State also claimed a spot on our Best Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

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#7

Park University

Parkville, MO
$8,853 Average Tuition & Fees

Park University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large 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 undergraduate student at Park University are $8,853 a year.

Read full report on Public Administration at Park University

#9

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN
$18,010 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration students. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Cloud State University are $18,010 per year.

Full Public Administration at Saint Cloud State University Report

#10

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND
$15,037 Average Tuition & Fees

University of North Dakota landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration programs. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UND are $15,037 a year.

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Best 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

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 25 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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