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2026 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in District of Columbia

2 Colleges in the United States
760 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$59,930 Avg Early-Career Salary

Public Administration & Social Service is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for public administration & social service students.

What’s on this page:

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in District of Columbia

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public administration & social service degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1

No school ranked higher than George Washington University this year for public administration & social service. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. Roughly 84% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 144 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at George Washington University in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration & social service program make about $76,884 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $22,910 to complete this degree. See the full public administration & social service program report for George Washington University

2
Georgetown University crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC

Georgetown University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best public administration & social service schools. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. Georgetown University awarded about 88 public administration & social service degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Georgetown University generally make around $83,403. Typical student debt for the program is $16,483. Read more about the public administration & social service program at Georgetown University

3
American University crest
American University
Washington, DC

Students looking for a strong public administration & social service program will find one at American University, which ranked #3. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Roughly 76% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 262 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at American University in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service graduates of American University earn a median of $72,223 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,139 to complete this degree. See the full public administration & social service program report for American University

4

A rank of #4 makes Catholic University Of America one of the top schools for public administration & social service. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Catholic University Of America graduates 80% of students within six years. Catholic University Of America awarded about 77 public administration & social service degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Catholic University Of America generally make around $59,489. Catholic University Of America graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Get the full public administration & social service details for Catholic University Of America

5
Howard University crest
Howard University
Washington, DC

A rank of #5 makes Howard University one of the top schools for public administration & social service. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. About 70% of students finish within six years. About 127 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at Howard University in the most recent year. Public Administration & Social Service graduates of Howard University earn a median of $57,362 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete this degree. Get the full public administration & social service details for Howard University

6
Gallaudet University crest
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC

Gallaudet University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best public administration & social service schools. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 36 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at Gallaudet University in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration & social service program make about $34,592 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,017. See the full public administration & social service program report for Gallaudet University

7

University Of The District Of Columbia came in at #7 for public administration & social service this year. University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Washington. About 44% of students finish within six years. About 16 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at University Of The District Of Columbia in the most recent year. Public Administration & Social Service graduates of University Of The District Of Columbia earn a median of $45,973 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $49,652 to complete this degree. See the full public administration & social service program report for University Of The District Of Columbia

8

Strayer University Global Region landed the #8 spot for public administration & social service this year. This large private for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. The six-year graduation rate is 8%. About 10 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at Strayer University Global Region in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Strayer University Global Region generally make around $49,512. Students borrow a median of $45,932 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Strayer University Global Region

View All Public Administration & Social Service Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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