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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

532 Colleges
$11,652 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$33,749 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is the #14 most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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.

The Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 532 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for public administration and social service students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for public administration and social service majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Public & Social Service

Our 2023 rankings named Minot State University the best value school in the United States for public administration and social service students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MSU are $8,163 a year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Minot State University

Out of the 532 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Bemidji State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bemidji State University are $9,806 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Bemidji State University also is in the top 15% of our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bemidji State University

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Brigham Young University - Idaho is a great value for public administration and social service students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Rexburg, BYU - I is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year.

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

#4

Granite State College

Concord, NH

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Granite State College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the fringe town of Concord, GSC is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GSC are $9,015 per year.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southwest Minnesota State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Southwest Minnesota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Marshall.

Southwest Minnesota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,482 in tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Southwest Minnesota State University is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

Read More…

With a ranking of #6, Colorado State University - Global Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Greenwood Village, Colorado State University - Global Campus is a public college with a large student population.

Colorado State University - Global Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $8,400 in tuition and fees each year.

Colorado State University - Global Campus also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.

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Metropolitan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Metro State are $9,394 per year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Metropolitan State University

Western Carolina University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCU are $8,367 a year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Western Carolina University Report

Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the rural area of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at IWU are $9,239 a year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

#10

Bellevue University

Bellevue, NE

Bellevue University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bellevue.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bellevue University are $8,310 a year.

Bellevue University also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

#11

Winona State University

Winona, MN

With a ranking of #11, Winona State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

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

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Winona State also is in the top 15% of our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Winona State University Report

University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree public administration and social service programs. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Pembroke.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Pembroke are $7,495 per year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree public administration and social service programs. UOPX - Arizona is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the city of Tempe.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UOPX - Arizona are $9,552 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UOPX - Arizona also is in the top 20% of our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.

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

#14

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

University of North Dakota ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UND are $15,037 per year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Dakota Report

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - River Falls are $15,661 a year.

UW - River Falls excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

Read More…

#16

National University

La Jolla, CA

With a ranking of #16, National University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students working on their bachelor’s degree. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National University are $13,320 per year.

National University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at National University Report

#17

Ottawa University - Milwaukee

Brookfield, WI

Ottawa University - Milwaukee ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Brookfield, Ottawa University - Milwaukee is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Ottawa University - Milwaukee undergraduate students pay an average of $12,616 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Ottawa University - Milwaukee Report

#18

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH

Youngstown State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration and social service students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the small city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Youngstown State University are $9,732 per year.

Read More…

University of Maryland Global Campus landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree public administration and social service programs. UMGC is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Adelphi.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UMGC are $12,336 a year.

UMGC also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Maryland Global Campus Report

Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration and social service students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead, MSU Moorhead is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

MSU Moorhead undergraduate students pay an average of $17,564 in tuition and fees each year.

MSU Moorhead excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

Read More…

#22

Columbia College

Columbia, MO

Columbia College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree public administration and social service programs. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Columbia College Missouri are $11,636 per year.

Read More…

#23

Ottawa University - Kansas City

Overland Park, KS

Ottawa University - Kansas City ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Overland Park, Ottawa University - Kansas City is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Ottawa University - Kansas City undergraduate students pay an average of $12,869 in tuition and fees each year.

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Ottawa University - Online ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Ottawa University - Online is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Ottawa.

Ottawa University - Online undergraduate students pay an average of $12,616 in tuition and fees each year.

Ottawa University - Online also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Ottawa University - Online

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration and social service students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $18,200 per year.

Minnesota State Mankato also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools

#31

Franklin University

Columbus, OH
#33

Park University

Parkville, MO
#44

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN
#45

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, TX
#49

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 532 different United States public administration and social service schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
52 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
53 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
54 Thomas University Thomasville, GA
55 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
56 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
57 Coppin State University Baltimore, MD
58 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
59 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
59 York College Jamaica, NY
61 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
62 Saint Augustine College Chicago, IL
63 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
64 Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK
64 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
66 Ohio Christian University Circleville, OH
67 Delta State University Cleveland, MS
68 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
69 Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS
70 California University of Pennsylvania California, PA
70 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
72 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
73 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
73 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
75 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
75 Washburn University Topeka, KS
77 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
78 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
79 Colorado State University - Pueblo Pueblo, CO
79 Post University Waterbury, CT

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
81 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
82 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
82 Lehman College Bronx, NY
84 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
84 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
86 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
87 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
88 Gordon State College Barnesville, GA
89 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
90 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
91 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
92 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
93 Purdue University Global Indianapolis, IN
94 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
94 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
96 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
96 Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph, MO
98 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
98 Weber State University Ogden, UT
100 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
101 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
102 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
102 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
102 Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR
105 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
106 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
106 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH

Public Administration & Social Service by Region

View the Best Value Public & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 142,610
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 73,813
Legal Professions 61,055
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,477

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 University of the Fraser Valley.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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