Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region

74 Colleges
$38,821 Avg Salary
$32,372 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Public Administration & Social Service is the #14 most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 74 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region

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

Top 15% Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

Our analysis found University of South Dakota to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . USD is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Vermillion.

Read More…

#2

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, MN

The excellent programs at Bethel University Minnesota helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in the Plains States Region . Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Paul.

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

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from Winona State take out $28,389 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $144, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Winona State University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Minot, MSU is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at MSU take out is $27,000.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Minot State University Report

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Bemidji State University is a great place for public administration and social service students. Located in the town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public school with a small student population.

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

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Bemidji State University Report

#6

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN

St Catherine University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Saint Paul, St. Kate's is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at St. Kate's take out an average of $36,625 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

With a ranking of #7, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the midsize suburb of Moorhead, MSU Moorhead is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at MSU Moorhead take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

Nebraska Wesleyan 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 city of Lincoln, NWU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Public Administration & Social Service majors at NWU take out an average of $29,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Nebraska Wesleyan University Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Minnesota State Mankato take out is $23,250.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Minnesota State University - Mankato Report

#10

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS

Kansas State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public college with a very large student population.

On average, public administration and social service graduates from K -State take out $23,417 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $209.

Read More…

With a ranking of #11, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration and social service students. Southwest Minnesota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Marshall.

While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Southwest Minnesota State University accumulate an average of around $20,107 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Southwest Minnesota State University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Public & Social Service students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Public & Social Service Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
12 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
13 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
14 The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges by State

Explore the best public administration and social service schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 791
Minnesota 3,576
Iowa 832
South Dakota 143
Missouri 1,624
Nebraska 490
North Dakota 321

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 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

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