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2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Kansas

[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for public administration students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Administration Schools in Kansas

2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Kansas

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Public Administration Schools

1

Wichita State University
Wichita, KS

$9,684 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,262 Avg Student Debt

$51,532 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Wichita State University the best value for a degree in public administration in Kansas. Located in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,684, compared with $19,869 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,262 to complete the public administration program here. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $52,982. That is a strong return on a $24,262 median debt. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.

2

University Of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

$12,102 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,608 Avg Student Debt

$61,945 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Kansas is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,102, with out-of-state students paying around $30,432. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $23,608. Early-career public administration graduates make about $58,188. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Kansas admits about 94% of applicants.

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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 · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.