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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina

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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

21 Colleges
$13,981 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$39,037 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is the #14 most popular major in North Carolina with 2,840 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 21 schools in North Carolina 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. 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.

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

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in North Carolina

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges.

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

$4,367 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Western Carolina University the best value school in North Carolina for public administration and social service students. WCU is a large public school located in the distant town of Cullowhee.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $4,367 per 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.

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

$3,495 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Pembroke. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $3,495 in in-state 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.

Read More…

#3

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

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

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ECU are $7,297 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at ECU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $319, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

ECU also claimed a spot on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

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The excellent programs at Appalachian State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in North Carolina. Located in the town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Appalachian State are $7,410 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Appalachian State accumulate an average of around $22,101 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $202, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Appalachian State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list.

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

The excellent programs at University of North Carolina at Greensboro helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in North Carolina. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greensboro.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNC Greensboro are $7,468 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UNC Greensboro take out is $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $94, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Greensboro also is in the top 20% of our Best Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking.

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

#6

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, NC
$5,379 Average Tuition & Fees

Fayetteville State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Fayetteville.

Fayetteville State University undergraduate students pay an average of $5,379 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Fayetteville State University take out $31,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Fayetteville State University Report

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Charlotte is a very large public school located in the city of Charlotte.

UNC Charlotte undergraduate students pay an average of $7,188 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UNC Charlotte take out $24,405 in student loans while working on their degree.

UNC Charlotte excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list.

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill.

UNC Chapel Hill undergraduate students pay an average of $9,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out an average of $16,162 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $271.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list.

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University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNCW are $7,238 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at UNCW take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

In addition to its great value ranking, UNCW is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in North Carolina list.

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

#10

Winston - Salem State University

Winston-Salem, NC
$6,247 Average Tuition & Fees

Winston - Salem State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, WSSU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WSSU are $6,247 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from WSSU carry an average student debtload of $28,000.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Winston - Salem State University Report

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
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

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 21 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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