by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 85 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 9,864 master's degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of public administration & social service for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for public administration & social service students working on their master's degree.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in public administration & social service. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in public administration & social service needs to take a look at Duke University. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Duke University
Virginia Tech is a wonderful decision for students interested in a master's degree in public administration & social service. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Virginia Tech
George Mason University is a good option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in public administration & social service. GMU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from George Mason University
University of Kentucky is a wonderful choice for individuals interested in a master's degree in public administration & social service. UK is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lexington.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from University of Kentucky
Located in the city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Virginia Commonwealth University
UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
FIU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Miami.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Florida International University
Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from University of Georgia
Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Vanderbilt University
UofSC is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from University of South Carolina - Columbia
Located in the large city of Louisville, UofL is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from University of Louisville
UCF is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Orlando.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from University of Central Florida
JMU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from James Madison University
Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Liberty University
Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from Florida State University
UA is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tuscaloosa.More information about a master’s in public administration & social service from The University of Alabama
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 19 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
| 20 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 21 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 22 | Southern Adventist University | Collegedale, TN |
| 23 | Barry University | Miami, FL |
| 24 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
| 25 | East Carolina University | Greenville, NC |
| 26 | Southeastern University | Lakeland, FL |
| 27 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 28 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR |
Explore the best public administration & social service schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 34 | 224 |
| Florida | 34 | 1,336 |
| Virginia | 33 | 1,017 |
| Georgia | 32 | 844 |
| Tennessee | 32 | 706 |
| North Carolina | 31 | 1,252 |
| Kentucky | 31 | 921 |
| West Virginia | 30 | 310 |
| Alabama | 30 | 948 |
| Louisiana | 30 | 817 |
| South Carolina | 30 | 292 |
| Arkansas | 30 | 352 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 2,722 |
| Public Policy | 492 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 129 |
| Human Services | 103 |
| Other Public Administration | 93 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies | 3,272 |
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