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Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

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2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

20 Colleges
$41,444 Avg Salary
$29,664 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, public administration and social service was ranked 6th in Pennsylvania. In fact, 2,116 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 20 schools in Pennsylvania to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for public administration and social service majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

#1

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA

Our analysis found Elizabethtown College to be the best school for public administration and social service students who want to pursue a degree in Pennsylvania. Located in the suburb of Elizabethtown, Etown is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Elizabethtown College

#2

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Carnegie Mellon University Report

#3

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Out of the 20 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Villanova University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Villanova University

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

The excellent programs at University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration and social service schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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#5

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Bryn Mawr College is a great place for public administration and social service students. Bryn Mawr is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Bryn Mawr.

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West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. WCUPA is a large public school located in the large suburb of West Chester.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#7

Alvernia University

Reading, PA

Alvernia University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration and social service students. It came in at #7 on the list. Alvernia is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Reading.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Alvernia University

#8

Widener University

Chester, PA

Widener University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Widener is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Chester.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Widener University

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best public administration and social service programs. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public college with a very large student population.

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Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Public & Social Service Schools in Pennsylvania list. Ship is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Shippensburg.

Read More…

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
New York 6,455
Maryland 1,050
New Jersey 1,665
District of Columbia 820
Delaware 160

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 33,631
Public Administration 13,571
Public Policy 3,737
Human Services 1,277
Community Organization & Advocacy 741
Other Public Administration 295

Majors Similar to Public Administration & Social Service

Related Major Annual Graduates
Legal Professions 45,189
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 13,045
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 10,452
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 1,613

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 20 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to University of the Fraser Valley.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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