College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

108 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
19,590 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$44,131 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public administration & social service is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #14 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 108 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 19,590 degrees in public administration & social service during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region The public administration & social service program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public administration & social service schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Public Administration & Social Service Rankings by 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

The public administration & social service school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in the Middle Atlantic Region

The schools below may not offer all types of public administration & social service degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

16 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
210 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$62,820 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service has to check out Princeton University. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were about 210 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Princeton University make $18,689 more than the standard public administration & social service graduate.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
792 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$63,048 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service needs to look into Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 792 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Columbia University in the City of New York get $18,917 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
777 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$60,251 Median Starting Salary

New York University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 777 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from New York University earn $16,119 more than the average public administration & social service grad.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in public administration & social service needs to check out Carnegie Mellon University. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were approximately 124 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of approximately $18,591 above the typical earnings of public administration & social service graduates.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
397 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$50,296 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Baltimore, UMB is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

There were roughly 397 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UMB in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from University of Maryland - Baltimore receive $6,165 more than the standard public administration & social service grad.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Maryland - Baltimore

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
8.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 296 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at University of Pennsylvania make $21,253 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$64,577 Median Starting Salary

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 147 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Cornell University earn $20,445 more than the average public administration & social service student.

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

8
Yeshiva crest
Yeshiva University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
386 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
26.9% Growth in Graduates

Yeshiva is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 17th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 386 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Yeshiva in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Yeshiva University receive $5,193 more than the standard public administration & social service grad.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
10.3% Growth in Graduates

UMCP is a very large public university located in the large suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 262 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at University of Maryland - College Park make $17,104 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Maryland - College Park

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$77,553 Median Starting Salary

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 44 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service major at Johns Hopkins University make $33,422 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$63,051 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were roughly 79 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service program at Villanova University earn $18,920 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
808 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$48,865 Median Starting Salary

Rutgers New Brunswick is a very large public university located in the city of New Brunswick. This university ranks 3rd out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were approximately 808 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Rutgers University - New Brunswick get an earnings boost of about $4,734 above the average income of public administration & social service graduates.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
912 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$50,196 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 912 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent data year. Public Administration & Social Service degree recipients from Fordham University get an earnings boost of around $6,065 over the typical earnings of public administration & social service majors.

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

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
162 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
6.2% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 162 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $27,455 more than the typical public administration & social service grad.

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

15
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$70,745 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 72 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service degree program at Georgetown University get $26,614 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

16
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 228 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from American University receive $20,390 more than the typical public administration & social service student.

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

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
17Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
18Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
19University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
20Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeNew York, NY
21Widener UniversityChester, PA
22University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
23Baruch CollegeNew York, NY
24Rutgers University - NewarkNewark, NJ
25University of DelawareNewark, DE

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges by State

Explore the best public administration & social service colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
New Jersey382,682
Pennsylvania383,430
New York3810,303
Maryland371,711
Delaware33443
District of Columbia33867

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Public Administration3,063
Human Services2,540
Public Policy1,536
Community Organization & Advocacy743
Other Public Administration247

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options