2027 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in District of Columbia
Public Administration & Social Service programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best public administration & social service schools.
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Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall public administration & social service education in District of Columbia.
Top Schools in Public Administration & Social Service
Our analysis ranked George Washington University the best school in the country for a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Roughly 84% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 152 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at George Washington University in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration & social service degree from George Washington University earn around $76,788 in the first couple years of their career. George Washington University graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans.
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Students looking for a strong public administration & social service program will find one at Georgetown University, which ranked #2. Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 76 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at Georgetown University in the most recent year. Public Administration & Social Service graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $83,403 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $16,483.
More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Georgetown University
A rank of #3 makes American University one of the top schools for public administration & social service. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. About 200 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at American University in the most recent year. Public Administration & Social Service graduates of American University earn a median of $72,330 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $24,139.
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Catholic University Of America came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best public administration & social service schools. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 80% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 91 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Catholic University Of America in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $59,489 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong public administration & social service program will find one at Howard University, which ranked #5. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. Roughly 70% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 177 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Howard University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration & social service degree from Howard University earn around $57,362 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete this degree.
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University Of The District Of Columbia earned the #6 position for public administration & social service this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the city of Washington. University Of The District Of Columbia graduates 44% of students within six years. About 14 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at University Of The District Of Columbia in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration & social service program make about $45,973 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $49,652.
See the full public administration & social service program report for University Of The District Of Columbia
Strayer University Global Region landed the #7 spot for public administration & social service this year. Located in the city of Washington, Strayer University Global Region is a large private for-profit university. Roughly 8% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 13 public administration & social service degrees were awarded at Strayer University Global Region in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration & social service degree from Strayer University Global Region earn around $49,512 in the first couple years of their career. Strayer University Global Region graduates carry a median of $45,932 in student loans.
See the full public administration & social service program report for Strayer University Global Region
Gallaudet University landed the #8 spot for public administration & social service this year. Located in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit university. About 47% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 28 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Gallaudet University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients from Gallaudet University generally make around $34,592. Gallaudet University graduates carry a median of $23,017 in student loans.
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More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.