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Best Public & Social Service Schools in Washington

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2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Washington

12 Colleges
$43,301 Avg Salary
$25,474 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,252 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration and social service students who went to a Washington college or university. This makes it the #14 most popular major in the state.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 Public & Social Service Schools in Washington ranking. This report analyzed 12 schools in Washington to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Washington

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

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

Our analysis found University of Washington - Tacoma Campus to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Washington. UW Tacoma is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Tacoma.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at UW Tacoma take out an average of $15,612 in student loans while working on their egree.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Saint Martin’s University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Washington list. Located in the small city of Lacey, Saint Martin's is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Saint Martin’s University

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Western Washington University is a great place for public administration and social service students. WWU is a large public school located in the small city of Bellingham.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from WWU carry an average student debtload of $19,418.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Western Washington University Report

The excellent programs at Central Washington University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Washington. Located in the town of Ellensburg, CWU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at CWU take out an average of $21,390 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Central Washington University

The excellent programs at University of Washington - Seattle Campus helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Washington. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UW Seattle carry an average student debtload of $15,612.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#6

Heritage University

Toppenish, WA

Heritage University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Washington list. Located in the rural area of Toppenish, Heritage University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Heritage University carry an average student debtload of $16,479.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Heritage University Report

#7

Seattle University

Seattle, WA

Seattle University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at Seattle U take out an average of $25,916 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Eastern Washington University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the town of Cheney, EWU is a public school with a large student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from EWU take out $17,560 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Eastern Washington University Report

Tacoma Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Washington list. Tacoma Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Tacoma.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Tacoma Community College accumulate an average of around $24,966 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Tacoma Community College

#10

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA

Walla Walla University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Washington list. Located in the suburb of College Place, Walla Walla U is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Walla Walla University Report

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
California 8,979
Oregon 832
Hawaii 396
Nevada 610
Alaska 121

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 12 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.

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