2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools
Our analysis found Harrisburg Area Community College to be the best value school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Pennsylvania. Located in the small city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public college with a large student population.
HACC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,295 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from HACC carry an average student debtload of $40,527.
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Out of the 34 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SRU are $10,507 a 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.
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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 medium-sized public school located in the small city of Bloomsburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bloomsburg are $10,982 a 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.
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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 fairly large public school located in the large suburb of West Chester.
WCUPA undergraduate students pay an average of $10,423 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Community College of Philadelphia is a great value for public administration and social service students. 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.
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Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. Located in the 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.
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Lock Haven University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. LHU is a small public school located in the distant town of Lock Haven.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at LHU are $10,878 a 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.
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Mansfield University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the town of Mansfield, Mansfield University is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Mansfield University are $10,682 a 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.
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Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #9 on the list. Ship is a moderately-sized public school located in the fringe town of Shippensburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Ship are $13,394 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Ship take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Millersville are $12,256 a 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
Request InformationBest 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 |
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings in Pennsylvania
Majors Related to Public Administration & Social Service
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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