College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in the Plains States Region

150 Ranked Colleges
7,888 Degrees Awarded
$28,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 98,583 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 7,888 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,821 and $32,372 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 150 colleges that offer a degree 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

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in the Plains States Region” 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.

Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region”.

1
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Walden University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 1,643 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

2
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 312 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Capella University

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 296 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 WUSTL

4
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 290 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at KU

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 242 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UMN Twin Cities

6

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 221 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UNOMAHA

7
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, Missouri

With a ranking of #7, Columbia College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. Columbia College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 191 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Columbia College Missouri

8
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 181 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 University of North Dakota Public Administration & Social Service Report

9

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Missouri State University - Springfield

10
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. Metro State is a public institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Metro State

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 162 ’s public administration and social service 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 University of Missouri - St Louis

12

With a ranking of #12, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. WSU is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 204 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Wichita State University Public Administration & Social Service Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota 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 147 students in 2020-2021.

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

14
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 174 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 University of Iowa

15

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 133 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 University of Northern Iowa Public Administration & Social Service Report

15

Upper Iowa University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 133 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UIU Public Administration & Social Service Report

17

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 136 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Mizzou

18
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 117 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

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

19
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at St. Cloud State University

20
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Full Augsburg University Public Administration & Social Service Report

20

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 103 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Minnesota State University - Mankato

22

The College of Saint Scholastica landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 105 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students 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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at St. Scholastica

23
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 ’s 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full SLU Public Administration & Social Service Report

23
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 91 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

25

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Administration & Social Service Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 80 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Full UMN Duluth Public Administration & Social Service Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options