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Best Public & Social Service Schools in Massachusetts

2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Massachusetts

27 Colleges
$47,496 Avg Salary
$23,173 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is one of the most popular subjects to study in Massachusetts. With 3,668 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

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 Massachusetts ranking. Our analysis looked at 27 schools in Massachusetts to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Massachusetts

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

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Our 2023 rankings named Harvard University the best school in Massachusetts for public administration and social service students. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mount Wachusett Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Massachusetts list. MWCC is a small public school located in the rural area of Gardner.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from MWCC carry an average student debtload of $7,010.

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

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#3

Boston University

Boston, MA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Boston University is a great place for public administration and social service students. Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Boston U take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Boston University Report

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#4

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

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#5

Smith College

Northampton, MA

The excellent programs at Smith College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Massachusetts. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Northampton.

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#6

Bristol Community College

Fall River, MA

Bristol Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Bristol is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Fall River.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Bristol take out is $7,150.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Bristol Community College Report

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#7

Anna Maria College

Paxton, MA

Anna Maria College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Anna Maria is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Paxton.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Anna Maria accumulate an average of around $28,000 in student debt.

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

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Northeastern take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Quinsigamond Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Quinsigamond Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Worcester.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Quinsigamond Community College take out is $20,131.

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#10

Simmons University

Boston, MA

Simmons University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the large city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

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

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Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the New England Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
New Hampshire 749
Maine 480
Rhode Island 426
Connecticut 1,271
Vermont 233

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.

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