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2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia

16 Colleges in Virginia
2,318 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$43,540 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Administration & Social Service is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #14 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,318 degrees in public administration & social service during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia Your choice of public administration & social service school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Public Administration & Social Service School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in Virginia

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public administration & social service degree levels they offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$59,370 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is a great decision for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 60 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Virginia Tech make $15,830 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 Virginia Tech

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 198 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of around $11,717 above the typical earnings of public administration & social service graduates.

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

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$50,770 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat William & Mary if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 53 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from William & Mary earn $7,229 more than the average public administration & social service graduate.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from William & Mary

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
373 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat George Mason University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 373 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from George Mason University earn $8,358 more than the average public administration & social service graduate.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
389 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 389 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn about $42,052 in their early career salary.

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

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$39,369 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 123 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, public administration & social service degree recipients usually earn about $39,369 at the beginning of their careers.

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

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
603 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were about 603 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn about $39,824 in their early career salary.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
15.4% Growth in Graduates

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Norfolk. A Best Colleges rank of #446 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Old Dominion is a great university overall.

There were about 52 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Old Dominion University receive an earnings boost of approximately $7,481 above the typical earnings of public administration & social service majors.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$37,339 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 86 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn an average of $37,339 in the first couple years of working.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8.3% Growth in Graduates
$31,721 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 24 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn about $31,721 in their early career salary.

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

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
North Carolina382,788
West Virginia38497
South Carolina38695
Florida384,051
Arkansas38671
Mississippi38748
Tennessee371,440
Louisiana371,118
Alabama371,608
Kentucky371,970
Georgia371,470

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Public Administration653
Public Policy469
Human Services61
Other Public Administration10
Community Organization & Advocacy7

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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