Top Ranking Masters in Human Services
Equip yourself to help individuals, families, and organizations with a top-ranked master's in human services. You're committed to improving the quality of life for others. Whatever the focus of your current work, a master's in human services can provide the leadership, administration, and advocacy skills you'll need for long-term success in the field.
Designed for professionals who work in a wide range of non-profit, government, or private agencies, a master's in human services is a multidisciplinary degree with numerous options for specialization.
You'll gain real-world skills and knowledge – from research and management to legal and ethical standards. And your training will help drive transformational change in current and future jobs.
What kind of Master's in human services degree should you get?
The human services degrees on this ranking have a wide range of emphases. Most are non-clinical (though a couple do lead to licensure). The program you choose should depend largely on the area you want to work in – whether that's health, counselling, or administration.
But that, of course, is not the only consideration. Many of these programs are targeted towards working students. But if there isn't one offered in your area, you don't necessarily have to pack up and move away to complete a Master's in Human Services. There are great, reputable options available online.
For more information, check out our College Choice ranking of the Best Online Master's in Human Services.
How much money do people make with a master's in human services degree?
The enormous range of jobs within the human services field means that salaries also vary widely. However, two broad statements can be made. First, there is a huge demand for workers in human services – the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an 18 percent rate of job growth for the next several years.
Secondly, having a master's degree offers a huge potential pay increase by opening up management positions. The BLS reports that human service assistants make a median salary of $33,120 while those in management in the same field make around $64,100 per year. Even after you factor in the cost of the degree, that's a huge yearly premium.
Featured Online Masters Human Services Programs
Find a program that meets your affordability, flexibility, and education needs through an accredited, online school.
What can you do with a master's in human services?
There are many opportunities in the field of human services, mostly in the nonprofit and public sectors. And due to demographic realities like an aging population, those opportunities are ever-expanding. This degree is also beneficial to those working in areas like public health, law enforcement, religious organizations, and behavioral health.
Here are a few job titles your master's in human services might qualify you for:
Social or community service manager
Nonprofit manager
Development director
Executive director
What are the requirements for master's in human services?
Admissions requirements vary from school to school, but the most basic requirement for all the programs on our ranking is a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Most program websites detail admissions requirements – but if you're missing a component, don't despair! It's worth contacting the admissions staff at the school to see if you can compensate for whatever you're missing.
Here are some requirements you'll encounter:
Prerequisite undergraduate courses in the Human Services field
A personal statement detailing career goals and experience
Professional references
What are the best master's in human services degrees?
At College Choice, the educational trifecta balances academic excellence, return on tuition investment, and high student satisfaction. And to find the best master's in human services programs, our research team slogs through a ton of data – like national reputation scores, net tuition, early career earnings, and where possible, student satisfaction surveys.
The end result of all that data compilation is the College Choice score for each school on the ranking you see below. We're confident that our score reflects the quality of program you'll encounter on campus.
We hope our ranking helps you find the best Master's in Human Services program for you!
Best Master's in Human Services Degrees
See our rankings methodology page.
