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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

34 Colleges
$22,568 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$41,444 Avg Salary

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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 34 schools in Pennsylvania to see which programs offered the best value experiences for public administration and social service students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

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

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

$8,295 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Harrisburg Area Community College the best value school in Pennsylvania for public administration and social service students. Located in the small city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public school with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at HACC are $8,295 per year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from HACC carry an average student debtload of $40,527.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Harrisburg Area Community College

$10,507 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

SRU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,507 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Report

$10,982 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 34 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the # 3 spot on the list. Bloomsburg is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Bloomsburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bloomsburg are $10,982 per year. 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.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

$10,423 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. WCUPA is a large public school located in the suburb of West Chester.

WCUPA undergraduate students pay an average of $10,423 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

$8,688 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Community College of Philadelphia. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Community College of Philadelphia undergraduate students pay an average of $8,688 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Community College of Philadelphia take out an average of $16,813 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Community College of Philadelphia

$11,062 Average Tuition & Fees

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the fringe town of Kutztown, Kutztown University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Kutztown University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,062 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Kutztown University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $240, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Report

#6

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, PA
$10,878 Average Tuition & Fees

Lock Haven University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. LHU is a small public school located in the town of Lock Haven.

LHU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,878 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from LHU carry an average student debtload of $28,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $175.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lock Haven University

$10,682 Average Tuition & Fees

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the town of Mansfield, Mansfield University is a public school with a small student population.

Mansfield University undergraduate students pay an average of $10,682 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Mansfield University accumulate an average of around $29,000 in student debt.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Report

$13,394 Average Tuition & Fees

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Ship is a moderately-sized public school located in the fringe town of Shippensburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ship are $13,394 per year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Ship take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

$12,256 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Millersville are $12,256 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Millersville take out is $29,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $248.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Report

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools 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

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.

  • 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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