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2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

124 Colleges in the Southeast Region
7,816 Bachelor's Degrees
$36,154 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 124 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,816 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 in the Southeast Region 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 account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different 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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college 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 Southeast Region

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.

24 Top Southeast Region Schools for a Bachelor's in Public Administration & Social Service

1
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 has to take a look at Duke University. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Duke University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Annual Graduates

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a wonderful decision for students interested in a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service. Located in the 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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Annual Graduates

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service. VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Virginia Commonwealth University

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Virginia Tech if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in public administration & social service. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Virginia Tech

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Annual Graduates

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Annual Graduates

UT Knoxville is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Annual Graduates

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from George Mason University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
178 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Central Florida

10
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
28 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt 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 Vanderbilt University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from The University of Alabama

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of South Florida - Main Campus

13
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from James Madison University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
174 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Miami, FIU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Florida International University

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Boca Raton, FAU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Florida Atlantic University

16
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Rasmussen University - Florida

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Annual Graduates

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

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Annual Graduates

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

19
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
267 Annual Graduates

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

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Annual Graduates

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Athens.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from University of Georgia

21
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Annual Graduates

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from William & Mary

22
138 Annual Graduates

Lindsey Wilson College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Columbia.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Lindsey Wilson College

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Annual Graduates

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

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Annual Graduates

Appalachian State is a very large public university located in the distant town of Boone.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration & social service from Appalachian State University

Rest of the Top Best Public Administration & Social Service Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
25 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
26 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
27 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
28 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
29 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
30 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
31 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
32 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
33 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
34 Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN
35 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
36 Barry University Miami, FL
37 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
38 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
39 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
40 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
41 Southeastern University Lakeland, FL

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges by State

Explore the best public administration & social service colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 34 1,516
Mississippi 34 414
Florida 34 1,784
Virginia 34 977
Alabama 33 650
Georgia 33 514
West Virginia 32 170
Tennessee 32 702
South Carolina 32 223
Kentucky 31 898
Louisiana 31 276
Arkansas 30 294

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 1,247
Public Policy 697
Public Administration 539
Community Organization & Advocacy 26
Other Public Administration 20

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

Related Major Annual Graduates
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 15,402

Notes and References

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