by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 24 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,692 doctor's degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The public administration & social service doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality public administration & social service program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for public administration & social service students working on their doctor's degree.
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 Doctor's Degree Schools.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in public administration & social service.
University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in public administration & social service. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from University of Southern California
New York University is a good choice for students pursuing a doctor's degree in public administration & social service. NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from New York University
Simmons University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in public administration & social service. Located in the large city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from Simmons University
University of California - Berkeley is a good decision for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in public administration & social service. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from University of California - Berkeley
Brandeis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Waltham.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from Brandeis University
Located in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Fordham U is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Bronx.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from Fordham University
Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from George Mason University
Located in the city of Lexington, UK is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from University of Kentucky
Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aurora.More information about a doctorate in public administration & social service from Aurora University
View the Best Public Administration & Social Service Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 329 |
| Public Policy | 280 |
| Human Services | 97 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 32 |
| Other Public Administration | 28 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies | 343 |
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