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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

10 Colleges
$16,528 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$36,860 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is the #14 most popular major in Tennessee with 1,564 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

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 Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best value experiences for public administration and social service students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

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

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

Check out the public administration and social service programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Middle Tennessee State University to be the best value school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University are $9,232 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Middle Tennessee State University carry an average student debtload of $24,249.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Middle Tennessee State University Report

$9,848 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a great value for public administration and social service students. UT Chattanooga is a large public school located in the midsize city of Chattanooga.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Chattanooga are $9,848 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UT Chattanooga carry an average student debtload of $22,375.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#3

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN
$8,336 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tennessee State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Nashville.

Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,336 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Tennessee State University accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.

Read More…

#4

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 10 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Memphis, UofM is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UofM are $10,056 a year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at UofM accumulate an average of around $34,500 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $110, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Memphis Report

#5

Union University

Jackson, TN
$16,520 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Union University is a great value for public administration and social service students. Union is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jackson.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Union are $16,520 a year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Union accumulate an average of around $29,166 in student debt.

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$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

East Tennessee State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ETSU are $9,438 per year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at ETSU take out an average of $24,185 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. UT Knoxville is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $13,244 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debtload of $22,000.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#8

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay 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 #8 on the list. Austin Peay State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville.

Austin Peay State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,431 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Austin Peay State University take out $28,521 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#9

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN
$23,210 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Adventist University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Southern Adventist is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Collegedale.

Southern Adventist undergraduate students pay an average of $23,210 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Southern Adventist take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Adventist University Report

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN
$56,966 Average Tuition & Fees

Vanderbilt University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Vanderbilt are $56,966 a year.

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

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
Alabama 1,668
Kentucky 2,072
Georgia 1,475

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

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

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 10 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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