College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Michigan

18 Colleges in Michigan
3,128 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$47,851 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public administration & social service is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #14 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in Michigan to determine which ones were the best for public administration & social service students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,128 degrees in public administration & social service annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Michigan Your choice of public administration & social service school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public administration & social service schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Public Administration & Social Service Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Bachelor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Master's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service
Doctor's Degrees in Public Administration & Social Service

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 Schools in Michigan list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in Michigan

The schools below may not offer all types of public administration & social service degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Michigan Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
619 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$55,943 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in public administration & social service has to check out University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 619 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service degree program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $8,092 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
237 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$52,924 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in public administration & social service needs to check out Central Michigan University. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #346 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Central Michigan is a great university overall.

There were about 237 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public administration & social service degree program at Central Michigan University earn $5,073 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Central Michigan University

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MBA in Public Administration Program Name

Fit new strategic skills into your public service passion and goals when you earn an MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
392 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$48,850 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in public administration & social service has to take a look at Wayne State University. Located in the large city of Detroit, Wayne State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #433 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wayne State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 392 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Wayne State in the most recent data year. After graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally make about $48,850 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Wayne State University

4
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
10.9% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Michigan State University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 119 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. After graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally make about $44,695 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Michigan State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
335 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

GVSU is a very large public university located in the fringe town of Allendale. A Best Colleges rank of #342 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GVSU is a great university overall.

There were about 335 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program report average early career earnings of $46,147.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Grand Valley State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$44,908 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 217 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Michigan in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally earn around $44,908 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Eastern Michigan University

7
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
132 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$38,863 Median Starting Salary

Saginaw Valley State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the suburb of University Center. This university ranks 28th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 132 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Saginaw Valley State University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program report average early career wages of $38,863.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Saginaw Valley State University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Human Services Program Name

Improve the lives of individuals, families and communities with the human service tools gained from this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Human Services from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$49,116 Median Starting Salary

WMU is a large public university located in the city of Kalamazoo. A Best Colleges rank of #322 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means WMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 117 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn an average of $49,116 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Western Michigan University

9
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
22.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #443 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Oakland is a great university overall.

There were about 119 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Oakland in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally make around $43,107 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Oakland University

10
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
36.4% Growth in Graduates

Hope is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Holland. This college ranks 16th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 33 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Hope in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, public administration & social service degree recipients generally earn around $37,270 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Hope College

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 3,145
Ohio 38 3,018
Illinois 38 3,796
Wisconsin 37 1,297

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 358
Community Organization & Advocacy 291
Public Policy 258
Human Services 58
Other Public Administration 3

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options