College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service

1,409 Ranked Colleges
98,583 Degrees Awarded
$34,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major” ranking looked at 1,409 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in public administration and social service.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration & social service students.

1
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major. This large school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 1,713 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Grand Canyon University

2
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 1,643 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Walden University

3
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 1,466 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Southern California Public Administration & Social Service Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Arlington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. UT Arlington is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Texas at Arlington

5
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fordham University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. Fordham University is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 1,058 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Fordham University

6

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 876 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Columbia University in the City of New York

7

Ultimate Medical Academy - Clearwater came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. Clearwater, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 848 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UMA Clearwater

8
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and it awarded 834 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

9

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking, coming in at #9. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 888 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at IUPUI

10

University of Phoenix - Arizona ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school awarded 860 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UOPX - Arizona

11
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 787 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Indiana University - Bloomington

12
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 777 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at NYU

13

With a ranking of #13, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 733 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Ohio State University - Main Campus

14
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. Aurora University is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 742 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Aurora University

15
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 677 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Hunter College

16

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking, coming in at #16. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 691 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at ASU - Tempe

17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 674 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

18
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York

SUNY Empire State College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking, coming in at #18. SUNY Empire is a public institution located in Saratoga Springs, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 602 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SUNY Empire

19
Simmons crest
Simmons University
Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 578 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Simmons University

20

University of Central Florida landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 637 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCF Public Administration & Social Service Report

21
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 586 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of Chicago

22
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

University of Denver came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 571 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 DU

23
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking, coming in at #23. Wayne State University is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 494 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

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

24
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major ranking. Purdue University Global is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 554 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Purdue University Global

25
SNHU crest
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major list. Southern New Hampshire University is located in Manchester, New Hampshire and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 486 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at SNHU

Rest of the Best 52 in Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major

Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
27
28
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
29
30
Portland State University crest
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon
31
32
33
34
35
36
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
37
38
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
39
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
39
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
41
42
43
44
45
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
46
46
48
48
50
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
50
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
53 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
54 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
55 Boise State University Boise, ID
56 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
57 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
58 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
58 University of Georgia Athens, GA
60 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
61 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
61 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
63 Barry University Miami, FL
64 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
64 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
66 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
67 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
Rank College Location
68 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
69 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
70 Widener University Chester, PA
71 Florida International University Miami, FL
72 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
73 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
74 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
75 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
76 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
77 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
78 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
78 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
80 Duke University Durham, NC
81 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
81 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
83 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
84 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
85 Adelphi University Garden City, NY
86 University of Houston Houston, TX
86 University at Albany Albany, NY
88 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
88 Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY
90 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
91 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
92 Brandman University Irvine, CA
Rank College Location
93 Yeshiva University New York, NY
94 Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL
95 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
96 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
97 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
97 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
99 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
100 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
101 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
102 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
103 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
104 American University Washington, DC
105 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
105 Lehman College Bronx, NY
107 Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA
108 Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI
109 Georgetown University Washington, DC
109 Baruch College New York, NY
109 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
112 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
113 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
113 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
115 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
116 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
117 Monroe College Bronx, NY
Rank College Location
118 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
119 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
120 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
121 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
121 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
121 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
124 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
125 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
126 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
126 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
126 Columbia College Columbia, MO
129 Baylor University Waco, TX
129 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
131 Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro, PA
132 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
132 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
132 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
135 North Carolina Central University Durham, NC
135 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
135 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
138 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
139 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
139 University of New England Biddeford, ME
139 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
139 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
Rank College Location
143 Lindsey Wilson College Columbia, KY
144 Salem State University Salem, MA
145 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
146 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
146 Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM
148 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
148 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
150 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
150 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
152 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
153 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
154 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
155 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL
155 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
157 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
157 LIU Post Brookville, NY
159 Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI
160 Jackson State University Jackson, MS
160 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
160 Utah State University Logan, UT
160 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
164 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
165 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
165 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
165 Post University Waterbury, CT
Rank College Location
168 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
168 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
168 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
168 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
172 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
172 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
174 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
174 George Washington University Washington, DC
176 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
176 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
178 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
178 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
180 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
181 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
181 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
181 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
184 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
185 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
186 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
186 University of North Texas Denton, TX
186 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
186 Morgan State University Baltimore, MD
186 Touro College New York, NY
191 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
191 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
Rank College Location
191 University of Hawaii - West Oahu Kapolei, HI
194 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
195 Keuka College Keuka Park, NY
195 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
195 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
198 Anna Maria College Paxton, MA
198 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
200 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
200 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
200 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
203 Towson University Towson, MD
203 Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA
203 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
203 University of Mississippi University, MS
207 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
207 University of Delaware Newark, DE
209 Kean University Union, NJ
210 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
210 Louisiana State University - Shreveport Shreveport, LA
212 Springfield College - School of Professional and Continuing Studies Springfield, MA

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References

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