by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study social services public administration at the Master’s Degree level, you’ve come to the right place. The list below highlights 284 schools that stand out for veteran social services public administration students, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat to build custom comparisons on the factors you care about most.
Explore the best social services public administration colleges for veterans at a specific degree level:
Here are the top-ranked social services public administration colleges for veterans:
Leading the list is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, our #1 social services public administration college for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 90.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the social services public administration program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Veteran students seeking a strong social services public administration program will find one at Ohio State University-Main Campus, which ranked #2. It scores 89.9 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the social services public administration program at Ohio State University-Main Campus
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor scores 89.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full social services public administration report for University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.3 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about social services public administration at University of Georgia
University of South Florida came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. University of South Florida scores 89.0 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about social services public administration at University of South Florida
Rutgers University-New Brunswick placed #6 among the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. It scores 88.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the social services public administration program at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater came in at #7 for veteran social services public administration students this year. It scores 88.5 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. More about the social services public administration program at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University came in at #8 for veteran social services public administration students this year. East Carolina University scores 88.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about social services public administration at East Carolina University
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 87.9 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about social services public administration at The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University came in at #10 for veteran social services public administration students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 87.8 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full social services public administration report for San Diego State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham placed #11 among the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. University of Alabama at Birmingham scores 87.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about social services public administration at University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas placed #12 among the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. University of Nevada-Las Vegas scores 87.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the social services public administration program at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Stony Brook University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. Stony Brook University scores 87.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the social services public administration program at Stony Brook University
California State University-Long Beach ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. California State University-Long Beach scores 86.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about social services public administration at California State University-Long Beach
Rutgers University-Newark landed the #15 spot for veterans pursuing social services public administration. The school's overall veterans score is 86.1 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the social services public administration program at Rutgers University-Newark
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus landed the #16 spot for veterans pursuing social services public administration. It scores 85.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the social services public administration program at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
University of Washington-Seattle Campus came in at #17 for veteran social services public administration students this year. University of Washington-Seattle Campus scores 85.4 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about social services public administration at University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of Arkansas came in at #18 for veteran social services public administration students this year. It scores 85.3 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about social services public administration at University of Arkansas
University of Maryland-College Park ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 85.1 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the social services public administration program at University of Maryland-College Park
Rhode Island College landed the #20 spot for veterans pursuing social services public administration. Rhode Island College scores 84.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about social services public administration at Rhode Island College
University of Kentucky came in at #21 for veteran social services public administration students this year. University of Kentucky scores 84.8 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full social services public administration report for University of Kentucky
Texas Tech University ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. It scores 84.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the social services public administration program at Texas Tech University
Boise State University placed #23 among the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. It scores 84.7 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. More about the social services public administration program at Boise State University
University of Central Florida came in at #24 for veteran social services public administration students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 84.7 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the social services public administration program at University of Central Florida
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee placed #25 among the best social services public administration colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 84.7 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. See the full social services public administration report for University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Not far behind, these social services public administration colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
These schools also stood out:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 81.35 |
| 52 | Middle Tennessee State University | 81.24 |
| 53 | Wayne State University | 81.19 |
| 54 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 81.08 |
| 55 | University of Iowa | 81.08 |
| 56 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 80.92 |
| 57 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 80.92 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying social services public administration: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
