Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Public & Social Service Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools

661 Colleges
$40,520 Avg Salary
$27,642 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is the #14 most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 661 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the United States

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

Top 25 Top Schools in Public & Social Service

#1

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

Our analysis found Princeton University to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Princeton.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at Princeton take out an average of $10,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Princeton University

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Harvard University

The excellent programs at University of California - Berkeley helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in the United States. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from UC Berkeley take out $13,045 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Berkeley Report

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Johns Hopkins University is a great place for public administration and social service students. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Baltimore.

Read More…

#5

Duke University

Durham, NC

Out of the 661 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Duke accumulate an average of around $10,000 in student debt.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Duke University Report

#6

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Cornell University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Cornell take out $13,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Cornell University Report

#7

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA

Elizabethtown College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Elizabethtown, Etown is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Etown carry an average student debtload of $38,426.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Elizabethtown College

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Northwestern take out is $16,780.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Northwestern University

#9

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Georgetown University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.

Read More…

#10

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

With a ranking of #10, University of South Dakota did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. USD is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Vermillion.

Read More…

York County Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools list. York County Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Wells.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at York County Community College take out is $11,044.

Read More…

#12

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, MN

Bethel University Minnesota did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #12 on the list. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Paul.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Bethel University Minnesota take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bethel University Minnesota

#13

Winona State University

Winona, MN

Winona State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools list. Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Winona State accumulate an average of around $28,389 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $144.

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

#14

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools list. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UChicago carry an average student debtload of $16,683.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Chicago

Minot State University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the town of Minot, MSU is a public college with a small student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at MSU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

Delaware Technical Community College - Terry landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the small city of Dover, Delaware Tech is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Delaware Tech take out $10,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Report

#17

Brown University

Providence, RI

Brown University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Providence.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Brown carry an average student debtload of $13,500.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Brown University Report

#18

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN

Bemidji State University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the remote town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Bemidji State University accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Bemidji State University Report

#19

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN

With a ranking of #19, St Catherine University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, St. Kate's is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from St. Kate's carry an average student debtload of $36,625.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at St Catherine University

Mount Wachusett Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools list. Located in the rural area of Gardner, MWCC is a public school with a small student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at MWCC take out an average of $7,010 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Mount Wachusett Community College Report

#21

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA

Loma Linda University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Loma Linda University

With a ranking of #22, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead, MSU Moorhead is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at MSU Moorhead take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

With a ranking of #23, University of Maryland - Baltimore did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. UMB is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Baltimore.

Read More…

With a ranking of #24, Nebraska Wesleyan University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the large city of Lincoln, NWU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from NWU carry an average student debtload of $29,750.

Read More…

With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at UW - River Falls take out is $28,000.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Rest of the Top 50 Best Public & Social Service Schools

#27

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA
#28

Camden County College

Blackwood, NJ
#30

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA
#33

Villanova University

Villanova, PA
#35

George Washington University

Washington, DC
#36

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA
#37

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI
#38

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS
#39

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA
#42

Clemson University

Clemson, SC
#43

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA
#46

Granite State College

Concord, NH
#48

Marian University

Fond Du Lac, WI
#49

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA
#50

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Public & Social Service Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 661 different United States public administration and social service schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN
52 Mitchell Technical College Mitchell, SD
53 Trinity College Hartford, CT
54 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
55 Loras College Dubuque, IA
56 Golden Gate University - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
57 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
58 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
59 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
60 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
61 Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA
62 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
63 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
64 Ottawa University - Surprise Surprise, AZ
65 American University Washington, DC
66 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
67 University of Wisconsin - Superior Superior, WI
68 New York University New York, NY
69 San Diego City College San Diego, CA
70 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
71 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
72 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
73 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
74 Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS
75 Orange County Community College Middletown, NY
76 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
77 Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN
78 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
79 Boston University Boston, MA
80 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
81 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
82 Cedarville University Cedarville, OH
83 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
84 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
85 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
86 Mount Vernon Nazarene University Mount Vernon, OH
87 Colorado State University - Global Campus Greenwood Village, CO
88 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
89 Smith College Northampton, MA
90 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
91 Ultimate Medical Academy - Clearwater Clearwater, FL
92 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
93 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
94 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
95 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
96 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
97 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
98 Bluffton University Bluffton, OH
99 Augusta University Augusta, GA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Public & Social Service Schools award.

Rank College Location
100 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
101 Ottawa University - Milwaukee Brookfield, WI
102 Stella and Charles Guttman Community College New York, NY
103 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
104 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
105 Capital University Columbus, OH
106 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
107 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
108 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
109 Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA
110 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
111 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
112 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
113 Bristol Community College Fall River, MA
114 Drake University Des Moines, IA
115 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
116 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA
117 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
118 Austin Community College District Austin, TX
119 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
120 Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI
121 Erikson Institute Chicago, IL
121 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
123 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
124 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
125 University of California - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
126 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
127 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
128 Yeshiva University New York, NY
129 The University of Texas at Brownsville Brownsville, TX
130 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
131 Anna Maria College Paxton, MA
132 Ohio Christian University Circleville, OH

Public Administration & Social Service by Region

View the Best Public & Social Service Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.