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2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools

417 Colleges in the United States
32,817 Bachelor's Degrees
$38,773 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Administration & Social Service is about average in terms of popularity for bachelor's degrees programs. That is, it ranks #16 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 417 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 32,817 bachelor's degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools The public administration & social service bachelor'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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

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 bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Public Administration & Social Service in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor'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.

25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Annual Graduates

University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Chicago

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service needs to check out Duke University. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Duke University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
116 Annual Graduates

Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Northwestern University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service needs to take a look at Cornell University. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Cornell University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of California - Berkeley

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
420 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Indiana University - Bloomington

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Annual Graduates

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Southern California

9
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Princeton University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Annual Graduates

Brandeis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waltham.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Brandeis University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

12
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Annual Graduates

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from New York University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Annual Graduates

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from The University of Texas at Austin

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Annual Graduates

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Wisconsin - Madison

16
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Syracuse University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Annual Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
283 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Ohio State University - Main Campus

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
290 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Arizona State University - Tempe

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Annual Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Loyola University Chicago

22
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Utah

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

CSUN is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Northridge.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from California State University - Northridge

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Maryland - College Park

25
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
175 Annual Graduates

Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aurora.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Aurora University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools

26
27
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, MD
28
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
29
30
31
32
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

33

34
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, NY
35
36
37
38
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, CT
39
40
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
41
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

42

43
44
45
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
46
47
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
48
Salisbury crest
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD
49
50
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 417 different United States public administration & social service schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
52 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
53 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
54 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
55 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
56 University of Delaware Newark, DE
57 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
58 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
59 Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA
60 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
61 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
62 Adelphi University Garden City, NY
63 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
64 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
65 University of Scranton Scranton, PA
66 Florida International University Miami, FL
67 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
68 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
69 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
70 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
71 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
72 Rasmussen University - Florida Ocala, FL
73 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
74 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
75 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
76 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
77 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
78 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
79 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
80 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
81 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
82 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
83 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Public Administration & Social Service students that almost earned our Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
84 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
85 Winona State University Winona, MN
86 Lehman College Bronx, NY
87 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
88 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
89 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
90 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
91 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
92 Baylor University Waco, TX
93 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
94 University at Albany Albany, NY
95 University of Georgia Athens, GA
96 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
97 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
98 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
99 Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI
100 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
101 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
102 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
103 Portland State University Portland, OR
104 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
105 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
106 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
107 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
108 University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ
109 The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN
110 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
111 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
112 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
113 Lindsey Wilson College Columbia, KY
114 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
115 Baruch College New York, NY
116 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
117 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
118 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
119 Monroe College Bronx, NY
120 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
121 Touro College New York, NY
122 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
123 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
124 Boise State University Boise, ID
125 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
126 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
127 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
128 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
129 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
130 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
131 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
132 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
133 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
134 Ball State University Muncie, IN
135 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
136 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
137 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
138 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
139 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO

Public Administration & Social Service by Region

View the Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 5,919
Public Policy 2,471
Public Administration 2,383
Community Organization & Advocacy 1,553
Other Public Administration 183

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 52,252

Notes and References

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