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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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

11 Colleges
$16,254 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$36,860 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, public administration and social service was ranked 4th in Tennessee. In fact, 853 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Grad Degree Search has created its Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in Tennessee 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. 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.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

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

$9,848 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga the best value school in Tennessee for public administration and social service students. Located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Chattanooga are $9,848 per year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

#2

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 #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,336 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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

#3

Union University

Jackson, TN
$16,520 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Union University landed the # 3 spot on the 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 in-state tuition and fees each year.

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$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public school with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University are $9,232 per year.

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

#5

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN
$23,210 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Adventist University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southern Adventist are $23,210 per year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Southern Adventist University Report

$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Knoxville are $13,244 a year.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Report

#7

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

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 #7 on the list. UofM is a very large public school located in the large city of Memphis.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UofM are $10,056 a year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Memphis Report

$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

East Tennessee State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. ETSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Johnson City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ETSU are $9,438 a year.

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

#9

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the midsize city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Austin Peay State University are $8,431 a year.

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

$13,515 Average Tuition & Fees

Strayer University - Tennessee came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the city of Memphis, Strayer University - Tennessee is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Strayer University - Tennessee are $13,515 a year.

Read More…

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
Mississippi 244
Florida 1,526
Virginia 1,152
North Carolina 1,324
Georgia 885
West Virginia 317
Louisiana 842
South Carolina 308
Kentucky 1,040
Arkansas 372
Alabama 1,018

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 33,631
Public Administration 13,571
Public Policy 3,737
Human Services 1,277
Community Organization & Advocacy 741
Other Public Administration 295

Related Major Annual Graduates
Legal Professions 45,189
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 13,045
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 10,452
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 1,613

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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