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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Virginia

18 Ranked Colleges
917 Degrees Awarded
$20,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 97,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Virginia, there were 2,005 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 917 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in public administration and social service. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public administration and social service programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Virginia

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 28 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 Virginia Tech

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full James Madison University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#3

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $20,397 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#4

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the #4 spot on the list. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Radford has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Radford University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 114 students in 2019-2020.

VCU also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $22,021 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Virginia Commonwealth University

#6

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

George Mason University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GMU is $21,048 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full George Mason University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Christopher Newport University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Newport News, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Christopher Newport University is $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Christopher Newport University

#8

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

Norfolk State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Norfolk State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 56 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Norfolk State also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Norfolk State is $12,645 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Norfolk State University

#9

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Virginia State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #9. Virginia State is a small school located in Petersburg, Virginia that handed out 28 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State is $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Virginia State Public Administration & Social Service Report

#10

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at William & Mary

#11

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Virginia Union University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Richmond, Virginia 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 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, VUU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,813 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend VUU.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at VUU

#12

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 165 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Liberty University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $28,903 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Liberty University

#13

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Regent University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Regent has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $15,267 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Regent University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Regent

#14

Bluefield College

Bluefield, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Bluefield College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Bluefield College is located in Bluefield, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Bluefield College has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $23,158 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend Bluefield College.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Bluefield College

#15

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Mary Baldwin University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Mary Baldwin is located in Staunton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, Mary Baldwin has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mary Baldwin University is $16,982 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Mary Baldwin

#16

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Eastern Mennonite University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #16. Eastern Mennonite is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Eastern Mennonite not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Mennonite is $23,763 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

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.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Eastern Mennonite

#17

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

VWU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VWU is $23,425 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Virginia Wesleyan University

#18

Ferrum College

Ferrum, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Ferrum College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Ferrum College is located in Ferrum, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Ferrum College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ferrum College is $22,159 for virginia bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Ferrum College Public Administration & Social Service Report

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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.

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