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2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

26 Colleges in Pennsylvania
3,728 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$42,553 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 26 schools in Pennsylvania to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,728 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 Pennsylvania 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

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 Pennsylvania list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Pennsylvania

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.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in public administration & social service needs to take a look at Carnegie Mellon University. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a 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 about 124 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Carnegie Mellon University get $20,169 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
8.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the 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 approximately 296 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $22,832 more than the standard public administration & social service graduate.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$63,051 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service has to take a look at Villanova University. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were about 79 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 degree program at Villanova University get $20,498 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
361 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service needs to look into University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 361 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn an average of $42,608 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
311 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Chester. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Widener is a great university overall.

There were about 311 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Widener in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Widener University make $4,785 more than the average public administration & social service grad.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
266 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
25.9% Growth in Graduates

WCUPA is a large public university located in the large suburb of West Chester. A Best Colleges rank of #241 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WCUPA is a great university overall.

There were about 266 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at WCUPA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program report average early career earnings of $40,672.

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

7
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were roughly 227 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn about $39,779 in their early career salary.

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

8
Etown crest
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$43,564 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Elizabethtown, Etown is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #537 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Etown is a great college overall.

There were approximately 18 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Etown in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn an average of $43,564 for their early career.

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

9
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$50,129 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Carlisle, Dickinson is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #379 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Dickinson is a great college overall.

There were about 3 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Dickinson in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service major at Dickinson College get $7,576 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
13.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 50th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 158 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Millersville 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 income of $36,214.

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

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
New Jersey382,682
New York3810,303
Maryland371,711
Delaware33443
District of Columbia33867

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Public Administration503
Human Services418
Public Policy335
Community Organization & Advocacy32
Other Public Administration16

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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