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2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia

16 Colleges in Virginia
2,157 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$41,798 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Administration & Social Service is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #14 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,157 degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia Your choice of public administration & social service school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Public Administration & Social Service School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Public Administration & Social Service Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Bachelor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Master's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Doctor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in Virginia

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public administration & social service degree levels they offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$59,370 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 71 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Virginia Tech receive an earnings boost of around $17,572 over the average earnings of public administration & social service graduates.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Virginia Tech

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
6.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a good option for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 180 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $13,459 above the typical earnings of public administration & social service majors.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$50,770 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat William & Mary if you want to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were about 55 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from William & Mary make $8,971 more than the typical public administration & social service grad.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from William & Mary

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
342 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat George Mason University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 342 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from George Mason University earn a boost of approximately $10,100 above the average earnings of public administration & social service majors.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from George Mason University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
348 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
5.5% Growth in Graduates

VCU is a very large public university located in the city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 348 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make about $42,052 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Virginia Commonwealth University

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
14.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 136 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally earn about $39,369 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from James Madison University

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
495 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
19.0% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 495 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn around $39,824 for their early career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Liberty University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$51,021 Median Starting Salary

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the city of Norfolk. A Best Colleges rank of #446 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Old Dominion is a great university overall.

There were approximately 44 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Old Dominion University receive $9,223 more than the standard public administration & social service student.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Old Dominion University

9
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
7.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 92 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make around $37,339 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Radford University

10

Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 22 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn about $31,721 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Christopher Newport University

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 2,788
West Virginia 38 497
Mississippi 38 748
South Carolina 38 695
Florida 38 4,051
Arkansas 38 671
Alabama 37 1,608
Kentucky 37 1,970
Georgia 37 1,470
Tennessee 37 1,440
Louisiana 37 1,118

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 604
Public Policy 470
Human Services 64
Other Public Administration 8
Community Organization & Advocacy 1

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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