Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Public Administration & Social Service

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

35 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$21,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 97,666 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 3,788 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,131 and $32,926 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

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 Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

#1

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,065 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Mansfield University

#2

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, Edinboro has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,833 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Edinboro.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Edinboro

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UPenn

#4

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school situated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 60 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Public Administration & Social Service Report

#5

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, Bloomsburg has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bloomsburg

#6

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 35 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,926 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SRU

#7

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Lock Haven University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Lock Haven, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

LHU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lock Haven University is $20,506 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lock Haven University

#8

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kutztown University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University is $22,422 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

#9

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Millersville is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Millersville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Millersville.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Millersville University of Pennsylvania

#11 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#11

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Temple University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

Temple also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $23,521 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Temple Public Administration & Social Service Report

#12

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ship is a public institution located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ship not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,054 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

#13

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,855 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at East Stroudsburg University

#14

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. California University of Pennsylvania is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $18,154 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Full California University of Pennsylvania Public Administration & Social Service Report

#15

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Bible College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,349 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Lancaster Bible College.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lancaster Bible College

#16

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Geneva College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Geneva is a small school located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania that handed out 17 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Geneva is $19,778 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Geneva

#17

Lincoln University

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Lincoln University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lincoln University is a public institution located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lincoln is $17,731 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lincoln

#18

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carlow University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Carlow is $20,002 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Carlow

#19

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

Gannon University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Erie, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Gannon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,431 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Gannon.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Gannon University

#20

Cairn University

Langhorne, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Cairn University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Langhorne, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cairn, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cairn is $21,859 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Cairn

#21

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

Cedar Crest College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cedar Crest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Cedar Crest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cedar Crest is $21,520 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Cedar Crest

#22

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Elizabethtown College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid list, Etown has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elizabethtown College is $26,937 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Etown Public Administration & Social Service Report

#23

La Salle University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

La Salle University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

La Salle also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend La Salle University is $24,763 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at La Salle

#24

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Seton Hill University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Seton Hill University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 14 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Seton Hill, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,620 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Seton Hill.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Seton Hill Public Administration & Social Service Report

#25

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Marywood University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marywood is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Marywood University is $22,236 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Marywood University Public Administration & Social Service Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Public Administration Schools

Find Schools Near You