2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania
Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service 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 Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 34 schools in Pennsylvania to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania
Check out the public administration and social service programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Elizabethtown College the best school in Pennsylvania for public administration and social service students. Located in the suburb of Elizabethtown, Etown is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Public Administration & Social Service majors at Etown take out an average of $38,426 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 Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Carnegie Mellon is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.
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Out of the 34 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Villanova University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania 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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The excellent programs at Dickinson College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Pennsylvania. Dickinson is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Carlisle.
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With a ranking of #6, Harcum College did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the large suburb of Bryn Mawr, Harcum College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Public Administration & Social Service majors at Harcum College take out an average of $25,150 in student loans while working on their egree.
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West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. WCUPA is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of West Chester.
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Bryn Mawr College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #8 on the list. Bryn Mawr is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bryn Mawr.
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With a ranking of #9, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Bloomsburg is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Bloomsburg.
Public Administration & Social Service majors at Bloomsburg take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $215.
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from SRU carry an average student debtload of $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $252, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request InformationBest Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges 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 |
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings in Pennsylvania
Public Administration & Social Service Related Rankings by Major
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.