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2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

15 Colleges in Pennsylvania
3,728 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.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 15 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,728 degrees in public administration & social service to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration & Social Service School

Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania The public administration & social service program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service rankings. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Public Administration & Social Service Rankings by 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
361 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service needs to look into University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #85 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 361 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make around $48,818 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

2
CHC crest
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$43,171 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service needs to look into Chestnut Hill College. CHC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Philadelphia. This college ranks 43rd out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 64 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at CHC 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 earnings of $43,171.

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

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
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$24,893 Median Starting Salary

Community College of Philadelphia is a good decision for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Community College of Philadelphia is a fairly large public college located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #454 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Community College of Philadelphia is a great college overall.

There were about 52 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Community College of Philadelphia in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally earn about $24,893 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Community College of Philadelphia

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31st Most Popular In PA
23.3% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Scranton if you want to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Scranton. A Best Colleges rank of #202 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Scranton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 30 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at University of Scranton in the most recent data year.

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

5
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
311 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

Widener is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Chester. A Best Colleges rank of #344 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Widener is a great university overall.

There were approximately 311 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Widener in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Widener University make $7,758 more than the typical public administration & social service graduate.

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

6
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #97 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were about 227 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program state that they receive average early career wages of $48,623.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$41,157 Median Starting Salary

Kutztown University is a moderately-sized public university located in the fringe town of Kutztown. This university ranks 36th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 102 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Kutztown University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn around $41,157 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

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
158 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
13.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 53rd out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 158 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Millersville in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program state that they receive average early career wages of $41,386.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Millersville University of Pennsylvania

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
33.1% Growth in Graduates

Ship is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Shippensburg. This university ranks 45th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 118 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Ship in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients usually earn around $43,351 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
26.8% Growth in Graduates

SRU is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Slippery Rock. This university ranks 37th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 56 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at SRU in the most recent data year. After graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients typically make an average of $32,316 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 2,682
New York 38 10,303
Maryland 37 1,711
Delaware 33 443
District of Columbia 33 867

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 503
Human Services 418
Public Policy 335
Community Organization & Advocacy 32
Other Public Administration 16

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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