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2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges for Veterans in Virginia

15 Ranked Colleges
2,157 Degrees Awarded
$30,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking - to help you make that 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 Virginia, there were 2,157 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,798 and $27,601 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in public administration and social service. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public administration and social service programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. 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 Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia vets studying public administration & social service.

Top 15 Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges for Veterans in Virginia

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school awarded 348 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Virginia Commonwealth University supports 29,070 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,085. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at VCU]](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university/student-life/veterans/)

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #2 spot on the list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,939 students enrolled at William & Mary, 531 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 349 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,978. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. William & Mary does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full William & Mary Veteran Student Life Report

3
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. George Mason University is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 342 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 38,541 students enrolled at GMU, 2,334 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. To help with additional expenses, 42 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. GMU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at George Mason University]](/colleges/george-mason-university/student-life/veterans/)

4
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 136 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia vets studying public administration & social service list, JMU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 842 of the 21,594 students enrolled at James Madison University were GI Bill® students, of which 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,824. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. James Madison University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full James Madison University Veteran Student Life Report

5
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #5 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 71 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Virginia Tech supports 37,024 students, and 119 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 108 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,314. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Virginia Tech]](/colleges/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

6
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 44 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Old Dominion also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 24,286 students enrolled at Old Dominion, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Old Dominion does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Old Dominion University]](/colleges/old-dominion-university/student-life/veterans/)

7
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service ranking, coming in at #7. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 180 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 25,628 students enrolled at University of Virginia - Main Campus, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of Virginia - Main Campus]](/colleges/university-of-virginia-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

8
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 495 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Liberty University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 93,349 students enrolled at Liberty University, 13,282 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8,897 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,888. To help with additional expenses, 386 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Liberty University]](/colleges/liberty-university/student-life/veterans/)

9
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Regent also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Regent University supports 10,483 students, and 1,414 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,139 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,203. During this same period, 42 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Regent University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Regent Veteran Student Life Report

10
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

Radford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service ranking, coming in at #10. Radford University is a public institution located in Radford, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Radford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 460 of the 10,695 students enrolled at Radford University were GI Bill® students, of which 225 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,142. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Radford Veteran Student Life Report

11
Norfolk State crest
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, Norfolk State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. This medium-sized school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 91 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Norfolk State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 527 of the 5,457 students enrolled at Norfolk State were GI Bill® students, of which 208 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,223. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Norfolk State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Norfolk State University Veteran Student Life Report

12

With a ranking of #12, Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach is a small school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 29 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,515 students enrolled at Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach, 185 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 130 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,959. During this same period, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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…

13
Virginia State crest
Virginia State University
Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service ranking. Located in Petersburg, Virginia, this small public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Virginia State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 4,020 students enrolled at Virginia State University, 368 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 112 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,578. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Virginia State University Veteran Student Life Report

14
Bluefield College crest
Bluefield College
Bluefield, Virginia

Bluefield College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. Bluefield College is a small school located in Bluefield, Virginia that handed out 26 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Bluefield College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Bluefield College supports 965 students, and 38 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 25 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,677. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Bluefield College]](/colleges/bluefield-college/student-life/veterans/)

15
Mary Baldwin crest
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia

Mary Baldwin University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Public Administration & Social Service list. Mary Baldwin University is located in Staunton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Mary Baldwin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,110 students enrolled at Mary Baldwin, 89 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,162. During this same period, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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