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2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa

10 Colleges in Iowa
841 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$34,238 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in public administration & social service, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #14 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 841 degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa Your choice of public administration & social service school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Public Administration & Social Service School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Public Administration & Social Service 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in Iowa

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public administration & social service degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Iowa Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
174 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
5.7% Growth in Graduates

University of Iowa is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 174 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Iowa receive an earnings boost of about $2,949 over the average income of public administration & social service graduates.

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

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,625 Median Starting Salary
$26,230 Median Student Debt

Des Moines Area Community College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in public administration & social service. DMACC is a very large public college located in the suburb of Ankeny. A Best Colleges rank of #501 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DMACC is a great college overall.

There were roughly 21 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at DMACC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make around $27,625 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Des Moines Area Community College

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
7.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Northern Iowa is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in public administration & social service. UNI is a medium-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #199 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Northern Iowa earn a boost of around $3,280 over the typical income of public administration & social service graduates.

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

4
Loras crest
Loras College
Dubuque, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,873 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Loras College is a great option for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Loras is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Dubuque. This college ranks 16th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 18 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Loras in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,873.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Loras College

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
72.2% Growth in Graduates

St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Davenport. A Best Colleges rank of #441 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means St. Ambrose University is a great university overall.

There were about 72 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at St. Ambrose University in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Saint Ambrose University make $7,351 more than the average public administration & social service graduate.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

UIU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the remote area of Fayette. This university ranks 17th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 133 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UIU in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Upper Iowa University earn a boost of about $11,515 above the average earnings of public administration & social service graduates.

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

7
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$52,464 Median Starting Salary

Drake is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Des Moines. A Best Colleges rank of #224 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Drake is a great university overall.

There were about 33 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Drake in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Drake University get an earnings boost of approximately $18,226 over the typical income of public administration & social service majors.

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

8
Mount Mercy crest
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, IA

Located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids, Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 21 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Mount Mercy in the most recent data year. After graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients typically make around $33,397 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
6.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Dubuque, Clarke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly small student population. This university ranks 24th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 31 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Clarke in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Clarke University receive an earnings boost of about $2,779 over the typical income of public administration & social service graduates.

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

10
Grand View University crest
Grand View University
Des Moines, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
2.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 26th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were roughly 48 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Grand View University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients typically earn about $30,827 in the first five years of their career.

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

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Kansas 38 731
Minnesota 38 3,541
South Dakota 38 126
Missouri 38 1,563
Nebraska 36 471
North Dakota 35 318

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 143
Public Administration 114
Community Organization & Advocacy 30
Public Policy 1

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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