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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama

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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

11 Colleges
$12,908 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$37,139 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,668 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration and social service students who went to a Alabama college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major in the state.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 11 schools in Alabama 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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Alabama

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

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL
$5,775 Average Tuition & Fees

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 Alabama. Located in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Columbia Southern University are $5,775 a year.

Columbia Southern University not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Columbia Southern University

$10,620 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of North Alabama. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list. UNA is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Florence.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNA are $10,620 a year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at UNA accumulate an average of around $31,061 in student debt.

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

$8,568 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Alabama at Birmingham is a great value for public administration and social service students. Located in the city of Birmingham, UAB is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UAB are $8,568 a year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UAB take out is $27,250.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Alabama at Birmingham Report

$8,756 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Alabama that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Alabama landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Mobile, USA is a public school with a fairly large student population.

USA undergraduate students pay an average of $8,756 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at USA take out is $31,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of South Alabama

#5

Troy University

Troy, AL
$9,312 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Troy University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list. Located in the remote town of Troy, TROY is a public school with a fairly large student population.

TROY undergraduate students pay an average of $9,312 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from TROY take out $33,544 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#6

Auburn University

Auburn, AL
$11,826 Average Tuition & Fees

Auburn University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the small city of Auburn, Auburn is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Auburn are $11,826 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Auburn carry an average student debtload of $23,337.

Auburn not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Auburn University Report

#7

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL
$11,120 Average Tuition & Fees

Jacksonville State 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 #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Jacksonville State University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,120 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Jacksonville State University take out $28,510 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Jacksonville State University Report

#8

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL
$11,620 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Alabama ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list. UA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Tuscaloosa.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UA are $11,620 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UA take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

UA also made our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list, coming in at #5.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Alabama Report

#9

Alabama State University

Montgomery, AL
$11,068 Average Tuition & Fees

Alabama State 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 #9 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Montgomery, Alabama State is a public school with a small student population.

Alabama State undergraduate students pay an average of $11,068 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Alabama State take out $43,048 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 $137.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Alabama State University Report

$10,024 Average Tuition & Fees

Alabama A & M University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Alabama list. AAMU is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Normal.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at AAMU are $10,024 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from AAMU carry an average student debtload of $39,000.

Read More…

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 2,840
West Virginia 504
Florida 4,199
Virginia 2,154
Arkansas 683
Mississippi 752
South Carolina 708
Louisiana 1,118
Kentucky 2,072
Georgia 1,475
Tennessee 1,564

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 11 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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