2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $30-$48k)
573
Ranked Colleges
98,583
Degrees Awarded
$4,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 98,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 573 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration and social service program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools
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 Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 269 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-927 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Duke Public Administration & Social Service Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,396 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Harvard University Public Administration & Social Service Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
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 yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $4,502 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. 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%.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Princeton
Out of the 573 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 586 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UChicago
Out of the 573 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #5 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 229 students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $917 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Northwestern University
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 876 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,699 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Public Administration & Social Service Report
University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 270 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,938 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Full University of Pennsylvania Public Administration & Social Service Report
Brown University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.
Brown also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $2,842 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Brown
Johns Hopkins University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $4,859 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Johns Hopkins University
With a ranking of #10, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 296 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $2,446 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WUSTL.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full Washington University in St Louis Public Administration & Social Service Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 674 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend U-M.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at U-M
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 311 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students 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. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,999 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UC Berkeley
Cornell University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 152 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,133 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Cornell University Public Administration & Social Service Report
Hunter College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 677 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
Hunter excels when it comes to public administration and social service quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,135 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
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
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 787 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It costs about $7,061 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at IU Bloomington
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 387 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 347 degrees to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,701 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Public Administration & Social Service Report
William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 55 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, William & Mary is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $7,507 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full William & Mary Public Administration & Social Service Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 340 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at UW Seattle
With a ranking of #20, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k list, Georgetown has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown University is $9,871 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Georgetown
Vanderbilt University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt also claimed a top spot 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. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Vanderbilt Public Administration & Social Service Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 304 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Madison is also in the top of our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,788 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 UW - Madison
California State University - Fresno landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 205 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,655 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Fresno State
John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. 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 $2,802 for Public Administration & Social Service students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend John Jay.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full John Jay Public Administration & Social Service Report
Baruch College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 208 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Baruch College is $2,741 for public administration & social service students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Baruch College