2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Indiana

[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public administration schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Indiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Administration Schools
For return on investment in public administration, no school beat Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis this year. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. In-state tuition and fees average $10,762, while out-of-state students pay about $34,891. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the public administration program here. Public Administration graduates of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis earn a median of $66,900 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis admits about 76% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public administration will find it at Purdue University Global, which ranked #2. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,101 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,412. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $36,778 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of Purdue University Global earn a median of $54,735 early in their careers. Set against $36,778 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Indiana University Bloomington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,144, while out-of-state students pay about $41,891. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $20,731 in student loans. Public Administration graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $52,502 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,731 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,648. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $32,807. Early-career public administration graduates make about $47,491. That is a strong return on a $32,807 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Calumet College Of Saint Joseph one of the best values for public administration. Calumet College Of Saint Joseph is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Whiting. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,850. Public Administration graduates carry a median of $24,428 in student loans. Early-career public administration graduates make about $111,396. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Public Administration Rankings
View All Public Administration Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.