by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Public Administration is the 49th most popular major in the country with 16,897 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 377 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 48 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular public administration programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree public admin students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out doctorate’s public admin degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #3 spot on the list. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 18 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Capella University landed the #4 spot on the list. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Public Administration at Capella University
Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Jackson State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Jackson State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Jackson, Mississippi. It awarded 14 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Public Administration at Jackson State University
Valdosta State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #6. VSU is a fairly large public school situated in Valdosta, Georgia. It awarded 13 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Public Administration at Valdosta State University
Florida State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Administration at Florida State University
California Baptist University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #9. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Administration at UMN Twin Cities
University of Baltimore landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. UB is a small school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 8 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of Georgia came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. CU Anschutz is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full The University of Texas at Dallas Public Administration Report
Auburn University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. Auburn University is located in Auburn, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Auburn University
With a ranking of #16, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, American University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Public Administration at The American University
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 5 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Public Administration Report
North Carolina State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public admin degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
University of La Verne did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #22. La Verne, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s public admin degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of La Verne
Florida International University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public admin degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Florida International University Public Administration Report
Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #22. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Public Administration at Western Michigan University
Syracuse University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Syracuse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at Syracuse University
Florida Atlantic University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University
With a ranking of #22, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Public Administration Report
With a ranking of #22, University at Albany did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate list. UAlbany is a fairly large school located in Albany, New York that handed out 4 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at University at Albany
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Old Dominion University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
