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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

17 Colleges
$16,495 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$41,798 Avg Salary

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.

The Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 17 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value programs for public administration and social service students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

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

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

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

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Virginia Tech are $14,174 per year.

Virginia Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Virginia Tech Report

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#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 17 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year. 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.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, JMU also did well on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at James Madison University Report

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#2

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA
$9,154 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Virginia State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Virginia. Virginia State is a small public school located in the suburb of Petersburg.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia State are $9,154 a year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Virginia State carry an average student debtload of $31,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $143.

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#4

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 17 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Radford undergraduate students pay an average of $11,542 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from Radford take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#5

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA
$14,924 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 17 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Christopher Newport University landed the # 5 spot on the list. CNU is a small public school located in the midsize city of Newport News.

CNU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,924 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at CNU take out an average of $26,247 in student loans while working on their egree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, CNU also did well on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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

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#6

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, George Mason University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GMU are $13,119 a year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at GMU take out an average of $21,247 in student loans while working on their egree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, GMU also did well on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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$9,622 Average Tuition & Fees

Norfolk State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk, Norfolk State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Norfolk State are $9,622 per year. While working on their degree, public administration and social service majors at Norfolk State accumulate an average of around $44,560 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $144, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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$15,028 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia ranking. VCU is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Richmond.

VCU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Virginia Commonwealth University Report

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$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value public administration and social service programs. University of Virginia is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Virginia are $19,785 per year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from University of Virginia take out $21,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia rankings.

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

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#10

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA
$10,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Old Dominion University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Virginia ranking. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Norfolk.

Old Dominion undergraduate students pay an average of $10,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Old Dominion University Report

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Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value 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
Mississippi 752
South Carolina 708
Florida 4,199
Arkansas 683
Alabama 1,668
Kentucky 2,072
Georgia 1,475
Tennessee 1,564
Louisiana 1,118

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.

  • 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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