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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin

2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

15 Colleges
$13,747 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$35,855 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,299 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration and social service students who went to a Wisconsin college or university. This makes it the #13 most popular major in the state.

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 & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 15 schools in Wisconsin 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.

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 & Social Service Schools

$8,088 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found University of Wisconsin - River Falls to be the best value school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Wisconsin. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

UW - River Falls undergraduate students pay an average of $8,088 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UW - River Falls take out is $28,000.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin list.

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$8,874 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin list. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW - Eau Claire are $8,874 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UW - Eau Claire carry an average student debtload of $23,961.

UW - Eau Claire also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

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$8,155 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - Superior. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin list. Located in the suburb of Superior, UW - Superior is a public school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Superior are $8,155 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UW - Superior take out is $29,333.

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$7,733 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 15 schools in Wisconsin that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the # 4 spot on the list. UW Oshkosh is a large public school located in the small city of Oshkosh.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW Oshkosh are $7,733 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at UW Oshkosh take out an average of $28,411 in student loans while working on their egree.

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$7,730 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Wisconsin. UW - Whitewater is a large public school located in the town of Whitewater.

UW - Whitewater undergraduate students pay an average of $7,730 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UW - Whitewater take out $27,650 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $151.

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$8,331 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. UW - Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Stevens Point.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Stevens Point are $8,331 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UW - Stevens Point carry an average student debtload of $26,615.

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$7,873 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. UW - Green Bay is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Green Bay.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW - Green Bay are $7,873 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at UW - Green Bay take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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$9,195 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse 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. UW - La Crosse is a large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.

UW - La Crosse undergraduate students pay an average of $9,195 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UW - La Crosse carry an average student debtload of $20,750.

UW - La Crosse also took the #3 spot in our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin rankings.

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$10,720 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin ranking. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UW - Madison are $10,720 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UW - Madison take out $24,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

UW - Madison not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Wisconsin list.

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$9,610 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UWM are $9,610 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UWM take out is $30,601. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $151.

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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
Michigan 3,411
Ohio 3,030
Illinois 3,948

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 15 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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