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2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid

579 Ranked Colleges
98,583 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 98,583 people earned their degree in public administration and social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 579 colleges that offer a degree in public administration and social service. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration and social service programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration & social service students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (With Aid)

1
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Out of the 579 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #1 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 677 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Hunter also did well on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,158 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Hunter College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Hunter

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 347 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,302 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Los Angeles

3
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid. Baruch is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch College is $2,264 for public administration & social service students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Baruch

4

Out of the 579 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 340 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $12,017 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Public Administration & Social Service Report

5
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehman College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 213 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $2,614 for public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Lehman College

6
Camden County College crest
Camden County College
Blackwood, New Jersey

With a ranking of #6, Camden County College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Camden County College is a public institution located in Blackwood, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Camden County College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $6,083 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Camden County College.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Camden County College

7

With a ranking of #7, John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 335 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,699 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend John Jay.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at John Jay

8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 387 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNC Chapel Hill

9
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 386 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $13,872 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Harvard

10

With a ranking of #10, Borough of Manhattan Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. BMCC is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

BMCC excels when it comes to public administration and social service quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $5,646 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Borough of Manhattan Community College

11

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 396 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,743 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

12
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 221 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton University is $9,836 for public administration & social service students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Princeton

13

New York City College of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 184 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,120 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend New York City College of Technology.

Full New York City College of Technology Public Administration & Social Service Report

14
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

With a ranking of #14, York College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Jamaica, New York, and it awarded 89 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for York College is $3,985 for public administration & social service students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at York College

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 205 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,230 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno State

16
Bristol crest
Bristol Community College
Fall River, Massachusetts

Bristol Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fall River, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,862 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Bristol Community College.

Full Bristol Community College Public Administration & Social Service Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 311 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of California - Berkeley

18
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 787 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IU Bloomington is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $14,619 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at IU Bloomington

19
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fort Pierce, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $3,786 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Indian River State College

20

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 888 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, IUPUI also did well on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $12,416 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at IUPUI

21

California State University - Long Beach ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 432 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, CSULB is in the top on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at California State University - Long Beach

22
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school awarded 287 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FAU is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $10,735 for public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend FAU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full FAU Public Administration & Social Service Report

23

Austin Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $7,224 for public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Austin Community College District

24

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 341 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FIU also did well on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,298 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Florida International University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Florida International University

25

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 457 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,523 for Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend CSUN.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Public Administration & Social Service Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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27
28
29
30
31
Community College of Philadelphia crest
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
32
MWCC crest
Mount Wachusett Community College
Gardner, Massachusetts
33
34
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey
35
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California
36
Quinsigamond Community College crest
Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester, Massachusetts
37
38
39
40
Tacoma Community College crest
Tacoma Community College
Tacoma, Washington
41
42
43
44
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
45
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
46
SUNY Orange crest
Orange County Community College
Middletown, New York
47
PCCC crest
Passaic County Community College
Paterson, New Jersey
48
Monroe Community College crest
Monroe Community College
Rochester, New York
49
50
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
52 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
53 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
54 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
55 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
56 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
57 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
58 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
59 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
60 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
61 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
62 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
62 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
64 The University of Texas at Brownsville Brownsville, TX
65 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
Rank College Location
66 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
67 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
68 York County Community College Wells, ME
69 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
70 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
71 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
72 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
73 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
74 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
75 Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY
76 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
77 San Juan College Farmington, NM
78 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
79 SUNY Empire State College Saratoga Springs, NY
80 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
81 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
82 San Antonio College San Antonio, TX
83 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
84 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
85 Boise State University Boise, ID
85 Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK
87 East Carolina University Greenville, NC

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Notes and References

References

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