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Best Public & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

2023 Best Public & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

20 Colleges
$48,536 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service Master's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 3,560 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration and social service students who went to a Pennsylvania college or university. This makes it the #13 most popular major in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Public & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 20 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration and social service majors pursuing a master's degree.

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Master's Degree Schools

#1

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA

Our analysis found Elizabethtown College to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Pennsylvania. Located in the large suburb of Elizabethtown, Etown is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#2

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

The excellent master’s degree programs at Carnegie Mellon University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.

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#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Out of the 20 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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#4

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Villanova University is a great place for public administration and social service students working on their master’s degree. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

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#5

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bryn Mawr College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Bryn Mawr is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bryn Mawr.

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#6

Alvernia University

Reading, PA

Alvernia University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration and social service students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Alvernia is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Reading.

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#7

Widener University

Chester, PA

Widener University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree public administration and social service programs. Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Chester.

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West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration and social service students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. WCUPA is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of West Chester.

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University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration and social service students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public school with a very large student population.

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Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Master’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Ship is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Shippensburg.

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Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 2,776
New York 10,504
Maryland 1,766
Delaware 443
District of Columbia 874

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 20 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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