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Most Popular Schools for Public & Social Service

2026 Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools

There are 1,482 colleges that offer a degree in Public & Social Service. Ranked by yearly graduations, here are the most popular below:

Finding the Best Public & Social Service School for You

Today’s Public & Social Service students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you’re no longer limited to schools in your local area.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 1,482 schools in the United States offering Public & Social Service programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for Public & Social Service majors.

#1

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

Our 2026 rankings named Grand Canyon University the most popular school in the U.S. for Public & Social Service majors. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit school located in Phoenix, AZ. This school awarded 2,326 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $62,543. Full Public & Social Service at Grand Canyon University Report

#2

Walden University

Minneapolis, MN

Walden University comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Minneapolis, MN, this is a private for-profit institution. This school awarded 2,091 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $76,759. Read More…

#3

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

University of Kentucky comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. University of Kentucky is a public school located in Lexington, KY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,253 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $45,496. Full Public & Social Service at University of Kentucky Report

The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. The University of Texas at Arlington is a public school located in Arlington, TX. This school awarded 1,043 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,801. Read More…

University of Southern California landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 997 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read full report on Public & Social Service at University of Southern California

Columbia University in the City of New York comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 976 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $75,228. Full Public & Social Service at Columbia University in the City of New York Report

#7

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ

Rutgers University-New Brunswick landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in New Brunswick, NJ, this is a public institution. This school awarded 823 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $52,303. Read More…

#8

New York University

New York, NY

New York University comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. New York University is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 776 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $59,956. Read full report on Public & Social Service at New York University

#9

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

Aurora University comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Aurora University is a private nonprofit school located in Aurora, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 762 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,840. Full Public & Social Service at Aurora University Report

#10

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN

Indiana University-Indianapolis landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in Indianapolis, IN, this is a public institution. This school awarded 739 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,273. Read full report on Public & Social Service at Indiana University-Indianapolis

#11

Fordham University

Bronx, NY

Fordham University comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Fordham University is a private nonprofit school located in Bronx, NY. This school awarded 729 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,779. Full Public & Social Service at Fordham University Report

Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. This school awarded 703 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,087. Full Public & Social Service at Ohio State University-Main Campus Report

#13

Ultimate Medical Academy

Clearwater, FL

Ultimate Medical Academy comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Ultimate Medical Academy is a private nonprofit school located in Clearwater, FL. This school awarded 692 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $22,469. Full Public & Social Service at Ultimate Medical Academy Report

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, this is a public institution. This school awarded 687 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,597. Full Public & Social Service at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Report

University of Phoenix-Arizona comes in at #15 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Phoenix, AZ, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 673 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $52,226. Read More…

Southern New Hampshire University landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in Manchester, NH, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 670 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $54,644. Read full report on Public & Social Service at Southern New Hampshire University

#17

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY

CUNY Hunter College landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. CUNY Hunter College is a public school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 641 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $46,228. Full Public & Social Service at CUNY Hunter College Report

#18

Simmons University

Boston, MA

Simmons University comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Boston, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 641 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $56,491. Read More…

#19

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Lynchburg, VA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 633 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $44,414. Read full report on Public & Social Service at Liberty University

#20

University of Denver

Denver, CO

University of Denver landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in Denver, CO, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 624 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $49,181. Full Public & Social Service at University of Denver Report

#21

Indiana University-Bloomington

Bloomington, IN

Indiana University-Bloomington comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school located in Bloomington, IN. During the most recent year for which we have data, 584 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,621. Read More…

Arizona State University Campus Immersion comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Tempe, AZ, this is a public institution. This school awarded 558 degrees in Public & Social Service in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,210. Read full report on Public & Social Service at Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Loyola University Chicago landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking. Located in Chicago, IL, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 543 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $50,621. Full Public & Social Service at Loyola University Chicago Report

University of Central Florida comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. University of Central Florida is a public school located in Orlando, FL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 536 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,960. Full Public & Social Service at University of Central Florida Report

Arizona State University Digital Immersion comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public & Social Service majors. Located in Scottsdale, AZ, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 527 people earned their degree in Public & Social Service from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,210. Read More…

#26

Yeshiva University

New York, NY
#29

Purdue University Global

West Lafayette, IN
#32

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA
#33

Portland State University

Portland, OR
#34

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY
#35

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT
#40

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA
#46

Boston University

Boston, MA
#47

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
#48

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI
#49

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY
#50

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.

Rank College Location
51 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI
52 Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO
53 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
54 University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD
55 University of South Florida Tampa, FL
56 California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA
57 University of Georgia Athens, GA
58 University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL
59 Troy University Troy, AL
60 University of Houston Houston, TX
61 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
62 University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV
63 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
64 California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
65 California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
66 California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA
67 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
68 University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
69 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA
70 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
71 Duke University Durham, NC
72 Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM
73 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
74 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
75 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
76 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
77 Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY
78 Pennsylvania Western University California, PA
79 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
80 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
81 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
82 American University Washington, DC
83 Eastern Gateway Community College Steubenville, OH
84 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
85 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
86 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
87 Adelphi University Garden City, NY
88 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
89 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
90 University at Albany Albany, NY
91 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
92 Utah State University Logan, UT
93 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
94 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
95 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
96 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
97 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
98 University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
99 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
100 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
101 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
102 University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD
103 Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO
104 CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY
105 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
106 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
107 Widener University Chester, PA
108 Florida International University Miami, FL
109 Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, NY
110 Our Lady of the Lake University San Antonio, TX
111 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
112 Barry University Miami, FL
113 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
114 California State University-Chico Chico, CA
115 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC
116 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
117 University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC
118 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
119 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
120 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
121 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
122 Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH
123 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
124 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
125 Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO
126 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
127 Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ
128 Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID
129 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
130 Baylor University Waco, TX
131 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
132 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
133 University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC
134 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
135 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
136 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
137 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
138 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
139 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
140 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
141 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
142 Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX
143 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
144 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY
145 Connecticut State Community College New Britain, CT
146 Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL
147 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
148 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
149 Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL
150 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
151 North Carolina Central University Durham, NC
152 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
153 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
154 Keuka College Keuka Park, NY
155 Salem State University Salem, MA
156 University of North Alabama Florence, AL
157 Monroe University Bronx, NY
158 University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
159 California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA
160 Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI
161 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
162 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
163 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
164 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
165 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
166 Post University Waterbury, CT
167 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
168 George Washington University Washington, DC
169 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
170 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
171 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
172 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
173 East Texas A&M University Commerce, TX
174 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL
175 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
176 SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY
177 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH
178 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
179 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
180 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
181 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
182 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
183 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
184 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI
185 Smith College Northampton, MA
186 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
187 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
188 Ball State University Muncie, IN
189 Long Island University Brookville, NY
190 Winona State University Winona, MN
191 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
192 Morgan State University Baltimore, MD
193 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
194 Howard University Washington, DC
195 Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR
196 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
197 Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT
198 University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO
199 Jackson State University Jackson, MS
200 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI

Public & Social Service by Region

View the Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools ranking for a specific region near you.

Region
New England
Middle Atlantic
Great Lakes
Plains States
Southeast
Southwest
Rocky Mountains
Far Western US

More Public & Social Service Rankings

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Public & Social Service Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Public & Social Service Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,176
Public Administration 13,993
Human Services 11,674
Public Policy 6,183
Community Organization & Advocacy 2,651
Other Public Administration 518

References

*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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