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Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

10 Colleges
$36,860 Avg Salary
$29,045 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is the #14 most popular major in Tennessee with 1,564 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Tennessee

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

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Our 2023 rankings named Vanderbilt University the best school in Tennessee for public administration and social service students. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Middle Tennessee State University is a great place for public administration and social service students. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Middle Tennessee State University carry an average student debtload of $24,249.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. UT Knoxville is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debtload of $22,000.

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Out of the 10 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga landed the # 4 spot on the list. UT Chattanooga is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga.

After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from UT Chattanooga carry an average student debtload of $22,375.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

#5

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN

Out of the 10 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Adventist University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Southern Adventist is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Collegedale.

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

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#6

Union University

Jackson, TN

Union University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. Union is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Jackson.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Union accumulate an average of around $29,166 in student debt.

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

#7

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN

Tennessee State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Nashville.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Tennessee State University accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Tennessee State University Report

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

University of Memphis 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. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at UofM accumulate an average of around $34,500 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $110, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Memphis Report

East Tennessee State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public school with a large student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at ETSU take out an average of $24,185 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

#10

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN

Austin Peay State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Austin Peay State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Clarksville.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Austin Peay State University take out $28,521 in student loans while working on their degree.

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

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 2,840
West Virginia 504
Florida 4,199
Virginia 2,154
Arkansas 683
Mississippi 752
South Carolina 708
Louisiana 1,118
Alabama 1,668
Kentucky 2,072
Georgia 1,475

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

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

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 10 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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