2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You
With 3,411 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, public administration and social service is the #12 most popular major in Michigan.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan ranking. This report analyzed 19 schools in Michigan to see which ones offered the best value 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.
Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Our analysis found Saginaw Valley State University to be the best value school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Michigan. Located in the midsize suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saginaw Valley State University are $11,130 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Saginaw Valley State University take out is $31,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $245, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 19 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Spring Arbor University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Spring Arbor, Spring Arbor is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Spring Arbor are $31,080 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Spring Arbor take out $29,893 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan list. Ferris is a fairly large public school located in the town of Big Rapids.
Ferris undergraduate students pay an average of $13,188 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Ferris take out is $26,250. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $176.
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The excellent programs at Central Michigan University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Michigan. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.
Central Michigan undergraduate students pay an average of $13,094 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Central Michigan take out an average of $34,500 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $202, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Michigan - Flint. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan list. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Flint.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UM Flint are $12,322 a year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at UM Flint accumulate an average of around $41,279 in student debt.
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Northern Michigan University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan list. Located in the remote town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Northern Michigan University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,206 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Northern Michigan University take out $26,977 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #7, Grand Valley State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GVSU are $13,900 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from GVSU carry an average student debtload of $26,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $247.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GVSU also is in the top 15% of our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan ranking.
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Oakland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oakland are $15,135 per year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Oakland take out an average of $29,562 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $125.
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Western Michigan University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. WMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Kalamazoo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WMU are $13,434 per year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at WMU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $241, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #10, Michigan State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing.
Michigan State undergraduate students pay an average of $15,966 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Michigan State take out is $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $394, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Michigan State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan list.
Request InformationBest Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 3,206 |
| Ohio | 3,030 |
| Illinois | 3,948 |
| Wisconsin | 1,299 |
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings in Michigan
Majors Related to Public Administration & Social Service
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Public Administration & Social Service
| 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 19 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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