College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Kentucky

10 Colleges in Kentucky
2,508 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 10 schools in Kentucky 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 2,508 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 Kentucky 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

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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky

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 Kentucky Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
672 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
39.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Kentucky is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the city of Lexington, UK is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #220 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UK is a great university overall.

There were about 672 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UK in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn about $47,430 for their early career.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$45,415 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration & social service has to check out University of Louisville. UofL is a very large public university located in the city of Louisville. A Best Colleges rank of #421 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 262 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, public administration & social service degree recipients typically earn around $45,415 at the beginning of their careers.

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

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
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$29,318 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Lindsey Wilson College if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. Lindsey Wilson College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Columbia. This college ranks 10th out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 170 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Lindsey Wilson College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program state that they receive average early career earnings of $29,318.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
132 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
40.9% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat University of the Cumberlands if you want to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1053 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cumberlands is a great university overall.

There were roughly 132 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Cumberlands 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 earnings of $32,938.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
34.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Richmond, Eastern is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were roughly 133 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Eastern in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make an average of $44,564 for their early career.

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

6
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$40,920 Median Starting Salary

WKU is a large public university located in the small city of Bowling Green. A Best Colleges rank of #851 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means WKU is a great university overall.

There were about 155 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at WKU 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 income of $40,920.

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

7
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$44,384 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, NKU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #842 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NKU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 160 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at NKU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make about $44,384 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Northern Kentucky 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
Brescia University crest
Brescia University
Owensboro, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$40,770 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Owensboro, Brescia University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly small student population. This university ranks 18th out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 83 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Brescia University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public administration & social service program report average early career wages of $40,770.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

Murray State is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Murray. This university ranks 16th out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 103 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Murray State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program make about $33,939 in the first couple years of working.

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

10
Campbellsville University crest
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
285 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Campbellsville University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the town of Campbellsville. This university ranks 23rd out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were about 285 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Campbellsville 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 income of $44,197.

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

Best Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 2,788
West Virginia 38 497
Mississippi 38 748
South Carolina 38 695
Florida 38 4,051
Virginia 38 2,056
Arkansas 38 671
Alabama 37 1,608
Georgia 37 1,470
Tennessee 37 1,440
Louisiana 37 1,118

View All Rankings >

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 526
Public Administration 119
Public Policy 19
Community Organization & Advocacy 16

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