2023 Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
91
Ranked Colleges
3,076
Degrees Awarded
$30,900
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s” 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,076 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 91 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public administration program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools
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 Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin.
Top 25 Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 93 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State University - Main Campus were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio State University - Main Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 91 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Syracuse University landed the #2 spot on the list. Syracuse, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
Syracuse also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 385 of the 21,322 students enrolled at Syracuse University were GI Bill® students, of which 250 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,840. To help with additional expenses, 217 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Syracuse Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.
JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 21,594 students enrolled at JMU, 842 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Out of the 91 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
KU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Kansas supports 26,744 students, and 70 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 40 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,917. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Kansas offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full KU Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Dakota. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 9 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
UND also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 796 of the 13,615 students enrolled at UND were GI Bill® students, of which 395 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,112. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 589 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1.Of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
University of Maryland Global Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. University of Maryland Global Campus is a public institution located in Adelphi, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, UMGC supports 58,526 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $913. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #8, George Mason University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 2,334 of the 38,541 students enrolled at GMU were GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,710. During this same period, 42 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
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University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 15 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus supports 27,772 students, and 12 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 10 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,720. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Auburn University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Auburn, Alabama, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Auburn, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 30,737 students enrolled at Auburn University, 1,499 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 746 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,423. On top of their other funding sources, 68 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Auburn University Veteran Student Life Report
Grand Valley State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin list, GVSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 479 of the 23,350 students enrolled at GVSU were GI Bill® students, of which 198 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,686. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Eastern Michigan University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 14 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the 16,294 students enrolled at Eastern Michigan, 486 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 265 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,462. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern Michigan offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Eastern Michigan Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,433 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. SDSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at San Diego State University]](/colleges/san-diego-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
Among the 17,311 students enrolled at Central Michigan, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $425. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Central Michigan does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona, 2,131 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,880. In addition to receiving other benefits, 31 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Arizona]](/colleges/university-of-arizona/student-life/veterans/)
Liberty University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 14 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Among the 93,349 students enrolled at Liberty University, 13,282 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8,897 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,888. On top of their other funding sources, 386 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Liberty University]](/colleges/liberty-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #17, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Kutztown University supports 7,890 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 61 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,498. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Park University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. Park University is located in Parkville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
Among the 10,165 students enrolled at Park University, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,501. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Park University Veteran Student Life Report
Florida International University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. Florida International University is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 122 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
FIU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,079 of the 58,836 students enrolled at FIU were GI Bill® students, of which 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,771. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
IUPUI also made our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 29,390 students enrolled at IUPUI were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,439. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Veteran Student Life Report
Miami University - Oxford ranked #21 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 31 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 405 of the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford were GI Bill® students, of which 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,877. On top of their other funding sources, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Miami University - Oxford]](/colleges/miami-university-oxford/student-life/veterans/)
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree vets studying public admin list, Pitt has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus supports 32,277 students, and 509 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 364 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,281. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 93%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Pitt]](/colleges/university-of-pittsburgh-pittsburgh-campus/student-life/veterans/)
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #23 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Among the 30,559 students enrolled at UT Knoxville, 1,122 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 739 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,650. During this same period, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UT Knoxville offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
California State University - Northridge came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Administration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 40,381 students enrolled at California State University - Northridge, 680 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 336 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,745. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #25, Samford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Public Admin for a Bachelor’s list. Samford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the 5,729 students enrolled at Samford University, 162 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 101 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,201. In addition to receiving other benefits, 36 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Samford University Veteran Student Life Report
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