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2025 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Virginia

12 Colleges in Virginia
2,318 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$47,851 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Administration & Social Service is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #14 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in Virginia 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 2,318 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 Virginia Your choice of public administration & social service school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Public Administration & Social Service School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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 Virginia list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Public Administration & Social Service in Virginia

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public administration & social service degree levels they offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Public Administration & Social Service

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$74,121 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is a great decision for students interested in a degree in public administration & social service. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 60 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Virginia Tech make $26,270 more than the standard public administration & social service graduate.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Virginia Tech

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
373 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat George Mason University if you want to pursue a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 373 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from George Mason University make $19,295 more than the typical public administration & social service grad.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from George Mason 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
389 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in public administration & social service. VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were about 389 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public administration & social service program earn an average of $47,896 in the first couple years of working.

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

4
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$39,533 Median Starting Salary

James Madison University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public administration & social service. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 123 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, public administration & social service degree recipients typically make an average of $39,533 at the beginning of their careers.

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

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
603 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. A Best Colleges rank of #265 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 603 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Those public administration & social service students who get their degree from Liberty University earn $5,510 more than the standard public administration & social service grad.

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

6
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$36,703 Median Starting Salary

William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 53 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. After graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients usually make an average of $36,703 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from William & Mary

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
12.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 17th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 33 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, public administration & social service degree recipients usually make about $30,442 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration & social service from Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach

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
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
$44,803 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 20th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 86 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients typically earn an average of $44,803 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Public Administration & Social Service Degrees Awarded
24.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Staunton, Mary Baldwin is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 49th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 33 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Mary Baldwin in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, public administration & social service degree recipients generally make about $37,537 at the beginning of their careers.

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

10
Bluefield College crest
Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,808 Median Starting Salary

Bluefield College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Bluefield. This college ranks 46th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 26 public administration & social service students who graduated with this degree at Bluefield College 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 $33,808.

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

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
Arkansas 38 671
Alabama 37 1,608
Kentucky 37 1,970
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
Public Administration 653
Public Policy 469
Human Services 61
Other Public Administration 10
Community Organization & Advocacy 7

View All Public Administration & Social Service Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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