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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan

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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

19 Colleges
$18,344 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$39,749 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Michigan

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

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, MI
$11,130 Average Tuition & Fees

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 suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Saginaw Valley State University are $11,130 a 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.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Saginaw Valley State University Report

#2

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI
$31,080 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Spring Arbor University is a great value for public administration and social service students. Located in the suburb of Spring Arbor, Spring Arbor is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Spring Arbor undergraduate students pay an average of $31,080 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Spring Arbor take out $29,893 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Spring Arbor University Report

#3

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI
$13,188 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 19 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Ferris is a fairly large public school located in the town of Big Rapids.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ferris are $13,188 per 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.

Read More…

#4

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI
$13,094 Average Tuition & Fees

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 town of Mount Pleasant.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Central Michigan are $13,094 a 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.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Central Michigan University Report

$12,322 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 19 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Flint landed the # 5 spot on the list. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school located in the 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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$13,206 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Michigan University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northern Michigan University are $13,206 a 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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$13,900 Average Tuition & Fees

Grand Valley State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan ranking. Located in the suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

GVSU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,900 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.

GVSU also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

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

#8

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, MI
$15,135 Average Tuition & Fees

Oakland University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Oakland are $15,135 a 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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$13,434 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

WMU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,434 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Western Michigan University

#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
$15,966 Average Tuition & Fees

Michigan State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Michigan list. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the small 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.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Michigan State is ranked #4 for overall quality for public administration and social service in Michigan.

Read More…

Best 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

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 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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