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2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

108 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
20,157 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$43,633 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public administration & social service is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #14 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 108 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 20,157 degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region The public administration & social service program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public administration & social service schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Public Administration & Social Service Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Bachelor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Master's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Doctor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service

The public administration & social service school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in the Middle Atlantic Region

The schools below may not offer all types of public administration & social service degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

16 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
221 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
6.8% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in public administration & social service has to check out Princeton University. Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 221 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Princeton University make $19,187 more than the typical public administration & social service student.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Princeton University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
876 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$63,048 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service has to look into Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 876 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York earn $19,415 more than the typical public administration & social service grad.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
777 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$60,251 Median Starting Salary

New York University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 777 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from New York University receive $16,618 more than the average public administration & social service student.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from New York University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$62,723 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in public administration & social service has to look into Carnegie Mellon University. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 92 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Carnegie Mellon University earn $19,090 more than the standard public administration & social service student.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Carnegie Mellon University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
417 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$50,296 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Baltimore, UMB is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

There were approximately 417 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UMB in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from University of Maryland - Baltimore make $6,663 more than the typical public administration & social service grad.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Maryland - Baltimore

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
270 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$65,385 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 270 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of approximately $21,752 over the typical income of public administration & social service majors.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Pennsylvania

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
152 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 152 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Cornell University get $20,944 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Cornell University

8
Yeshiva crest
Yeshiva University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
282 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
24.5% Growth in Graduates

Yeshiva is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 17th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 282 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Yeshiva in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Yeshiva University make $5,691 more than the average public administration & social service student.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Yeshiva University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
235 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
30.2% Growth in Graduates

UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were approximately 235 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park receive an earnings boost of about $17,602 above the average income of public administration & social service graduates.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Maryland - College Park

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$77,553 Median Starting Salary

Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 65 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University earn $33,920 more than the standard public administration & social service student.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Johns Hopkins University

11
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$63,051 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were roughly 114 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Villanova University earn $19,418 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Villanova University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
834 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Rutgers New Brunswick is a very large public university located in the small city of New Brunswick. This university ranks 3rd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were approximately 834 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Rutgers University - New Brunswick earn $5,232 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,058 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$50,196 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 1058 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Fordham University get an earnings boost of around $6,563 over the typical earnings of public administration & social service majors.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Fordham University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
152 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$71,586 Median Starting Salary

GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 152 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from George Washington University receive $27,953 more than the standard public administration & social service graduate.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from George Washington University

15
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
208 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 208 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Georgetown University receive $27,112 more than the standard public administration & social service graduate.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Georgetown University

16
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
225 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 225 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service degree program at American University earn $20,888 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from American University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
17 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
18 Hunter College New York, NY
19 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
20 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
21 Widener University Chester, PA
22 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
23 Baruch College New York, NY
24 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
25 University of Delaware Newark, DE

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges by State

Explore the best public administration & social service colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 2,682
Pennsylvania 38 3,430
New York 38 10,303
Maryland 37 1,711
Delaware 33 443
District of Columbia 33 867

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 3,399
Human Services 2,686
Public Policy 1,628
Community Organization & Advocacy 891
Other Public Administration 158

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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