Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia

17 Colleges
$41,798 Avg Salary
$27,601 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

With 2,154 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, public administration and social service is the #15 most popular major in Virginia.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

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 Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 17 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia

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

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Our analysis found Virginia Tech to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg.

Read More…

Out of the 17 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from University of Virginia take out $21,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#3

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

The excellent programs at William & Mary helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Virginia. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from William & Mary take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at William & Mary Report

#4

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list. CNU is a small public school located in the city of Newport News.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at CNU take out an average of $26,247 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Christopher Newport University

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means George Mason University is a great place for public administration and social service students. GMU is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at GMU take out an average of $21,247 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at George Mason University

#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

James Madison University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from JMU take out $21,184 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $326.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at James Madison University Report

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #7 on the list. VCU is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Richmond.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from VCU take out $24,497 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $125.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Virginia Commonwealth University

#8

Radford University

Radford, VA

Radford University 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 small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

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

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

#9

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA

Mary Baldwin University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list. Mary Baldwin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Staunton.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Mary Baldwin take out is $34,911.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Mary Baldwin University Report

#10

Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA

With a ranking of #10, Bluefield College did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Bluefield College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Bluefield.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Bluefield College accumulate an average of around $24,429 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bluefield College

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 2,840
West Virginia 504
South Carolina 708
Florida 4,199
Arkansas 683
Mississippi 752
Tennessee 1,564
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 17 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.