2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service 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.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 158 schools in the Southeast Region 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.
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2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges.
Top 15% Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Our analysis found Columbia Southern University to be the best value school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in the Southeast Region . Columbia Southern University is a large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Orange Beach.
Columbia Southern University undergraduate students pay an average of $5,775 in tuition and fees each year.
Columbia Southern University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Columbia Southern University Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at American Military University are $7,360 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, American Military University is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at American Public University System
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Carolina University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public school with a large student population.
WCU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,367 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at WCU accumulate an average of around $21,524 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $127, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Out of the 158 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Horry-Georgetown Technical College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Horry-Georgetown Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Conway.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Horry-Georgetown Technical College are $8,593 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Horry-Georgetown Technical College take out $27,431 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Horry-Georgetown Technical College Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Piedmont Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Piedmont Technical College is a small public school located in the distant town of Greenwood.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Piedmont Technical College are $6,593 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Piedmont Technical College accumulate an average of around $25,500 in student debt.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Piedmont Technical College Report
Florida State College at Jacksonville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Jacksonville, FSCJ is a public college with a very large student population.
FSCJ undergraduate students pay an average of $9,631 in tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at FSCJ take out an average of $28,079 in student loans while working on their egree.
Rasmussen University - Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #7 on the list. Rasmussen University - Florida is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the small city of Ocala.
Rasmussen University - Florida undergraduate students pay an average of $13,635 in tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Rasmussen University - Florida take out $36,633 in student loans while working on their degree.
Rasmussen University - Florida excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Rasmussen University - Florida
Greenville Technical College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. GTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Greenville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GTC are $9,410 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at GTC take out an average of $27,184 in student loans while working on their egree.
Indian River State College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fort Pierce.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Indian River State College are $10,201 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Indian River State College carry an average student debtload of $14,500.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Indian River State College Report
Thomas University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the distant town of Thomasville, TU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at TU are $11,080 a year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at TU accumulate an average of around $33,917 in student debt.
University of the Cumberlands did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cumberlands are $9,875 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Cumberlands take out an average of $19,431 in student loans while working on their egree.
Union University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Union undergraduate students pay an average of $16,520 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Union take out is $29,166.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Union University Report
With a ranking of #13, University of North Carolina at Pembroke did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Pembroke.
UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $7,495 in tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UNC Pembroke take out $27,394 in student loans while working on their degree.
Delta State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the remote town of Cleveland, Delta State University is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delta State University are $8,360 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Delta State University carry an average student debtload of $26,500.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Delta State University Report
Arkansas State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. A-State is a large public school located in the city of Jonesboro.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at A-State are $12,698 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from A-State carry an average student debtload of $29,000.
Gordon State College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #16 on the list. Gordon is a small public school located in the town of Barnesville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Gordon are $10,695 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Gordon carry an average student debtload of $31,000.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Gordon State College
Southern Adventist University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southern Adventist are $23,210 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Southern Adventist accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Adventist University Report
Clemson University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Clemson are $38,550 a year.
Clemson also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Clemson University
University of North Georgia landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the town of Dahlonega, UNG is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNG are $16,014 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at UNG accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UNG also did well on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Concord 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 #20 on the list. Concord University is a small public school located in the distant town of Athens.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Concord University are $18,440 a year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Concord University take out is $20,625.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Concord University
Henderson State University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the town of Arkadelphia, Henderson State University is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Henderson State University are $9,768 a year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Henderson State University take out is $25,017.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at Henderson State University Report
University of Memphis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #22 on the list. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the city of Memphis.
UofM undergraduate students pay an average of $14,088 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UofM take out is $34,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $110.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Memphis Report
With a ranking of #23, University of Southern Mississippi did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Southern Miss is a large public school located in the city of Hattiesburg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southern Miss are $11,204 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Southern Miss take out is $31,000.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Southern Mississippi Report
The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region list. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Martin.
UT Martin undergraduate students pay an average of $15,952 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UT Martin take out is $24,410.
Full Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Tennessee - Martin Report
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Public & Social Service students in the Southeast Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| 26 | Campbellsville University | Campbellsville, KY |
| 27 | University of North Alabama | Florence, AL |
| 28 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA |
| 29 | Spalding University | Louisville, KY |
| 30 | Shepherd University | Shepherdstown, WV |
| 31 | University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL |
Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges by State
Explore the best public administration and social service colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 2,840 |
| West Virginia | 504 |
| South Carolina | 708 |
| Florida | 4,199 |
| Virginia | 2,154 |
| Arkansas | 683 |
| Mississippi | 752 |
| Louisiana | 1,118 |
| Alabama | 1,668 |
| Kentucky | 2,072 |
| Georgia | 1,475 |
| Tennessee | 1,564 |
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings in the Southeast Region
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 Related Majors
| 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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