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2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

35 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$21,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

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 a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 97,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 3,788 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,131 and $32,926 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 35 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

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 “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania”.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students list, SRU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,926 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Full Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Public Administration & Social Service Report

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Bloomsburg also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $20,230 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Bloomsburg

#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 60 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend WCUPA.

The 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at WCUPA

#4

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kutztown University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University is $22,422 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Kutztown University

#5

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lock Haven University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

LHU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for LHU is $20,506 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lock Haven University

#6

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Edinboro, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro is $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full Edinboro Public Administration & Social Service Report

#7

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Ship also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $22,054 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

#8

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Millersville is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Millersville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millersville is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Millersville Public Administration & Social Service Report

#9

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Mansfield University is a small school located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,065 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#10

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. California University of Pennsylvania is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,154 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend Cal U.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at California University of Pennsylvania

#11

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Temple University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend Temple.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Temple Public Administration & Social Service Report

#12

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. East Stroudsburg University is located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $19,855 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at East Stroudsburg University

#11 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 55 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Pitt

#14

Lincoln University

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Lincoln University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #14. Lincoln University is a small school located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania that handed out 61 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln University is $17,731 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lincoln

#15

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Bible College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lancaster Bible College is $22,349 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Lancaster Bible College

#16

Cairn University

Langhorne, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Cairn University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Cairn also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cairn University is $21,859 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Cairn University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#17

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Geneva College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Geneva College is $19,778 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

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

#18

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Elizabethtown College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Etown also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Etown is $26,937 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive 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 Etown

#19

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carlow University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Carlow University is $20,002 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Carlow

#20

La Salle University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

La Salle University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

La Salle also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $24,763 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend La Salle.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at La Salle

#21

Eastern University

Saint Davids, Pennsylvania
#25 in overall quality

Eastern University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Eastern University is located in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EU is $22,284 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Eastern University Public Administration & Social Service Report

#22

Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Chestnut Hill College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Chestnut Hill College is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 63 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CHC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CHC is $26,357 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public administration & social service students.

Full Chestnut Hill College Public Administration & Social Service Report

#23

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

Gannon University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Gannon is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Gannon also took the #20 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,431 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Gannon University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 85%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Gannon University

#24

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Gwynedd Mercy University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Gwynedd Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $24,124 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students per year to attend Gwynedd - Mercy.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Gwynedd Mercy University

#25

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Seton Hill University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #25. Seton Hill University is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 bachelors’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Seton Hill, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Seton Hill is $23,620 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Public Administration & Social Service students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Seton Hill University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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