by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 74 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,703 master's degrees in public administration during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The public admin master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for public administration students working on their master's degree.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in public administration. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Virginia Tech is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in public administration. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Those public administration students who get their master's degree from Virginia Tech make $12,244 more than the typical public admin graduate.
More information about a master’s in public administration from Virginia Tech
George Mason University is a great decision for students interested in a master's degree in public administration. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Public Administration master's degree recipients from George Mason University get an earnings boost of approximately $19,356 above the average income of public administration majors.
More information about a master’s in public administration from George Mason University
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in public administration needs to check out Florida International University. Located in the large suburb of Miami, FIU is a public university with a very large student population.
Public Administration master's degree recipients from Florida International University earn a boost of around $11,246 above the typical earnings of public administration graduates.
More information about a master’s in public administration from Florida International University
Clemson University is a good decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in public administration. Clemson is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Clemson.
Public Administration master's degree recipients from Clemson University receive an earnings boost of about $21,922 above the typical income of public administration majors.
More information about a master’s in public administration from Clemson University
Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration from Auburn University
UGA is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Athens.
Master's students who receive their degree from the public admin program make around $47,593 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Georgia
Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population.
Public Administration master's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a boost of around $9,879 over the average earnings of public administration majors.
More information about a master’s in public administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Located in the suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduating, public admin master's recipients generally make an average of $44,292 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Central Florida
Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population.
Those public administration students who get their master's degree from North Carolina State University earn $5,484 more than the typical public admin student.
More information about a master’s in public administration from North Carolina State University
Florida State is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tallahassee.
Those public administration students who get their master's degree from Florida State University make $3,919 more than the standard public admin student.
More information about a master’s in public administration from Florida State University
Columbia Southern University is a large private for-profit university located in the town of Orange Beach.
Public Administration master's degree recipients from Columbia Southern University get an earnings boost of around $10,174 over the typical earnings of public administration majors.
More information about a master’s in public administration from Columbia Southern UniversityLearn about other programs related to Public Administration that might interest you.
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| 13 | Barry University | Miami, FL |
| 14 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
| 15 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 16 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
| 17 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL |
| 18 | Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA |
Explore the best public administration colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 208 | 514 |
| Georgia | 190 | 379 |
| Virginia | 182 | 394 |
| North Carolina | 178 | 341 |
| Tennessee | 166 | 69 |
| Alabama | 151 | 335 |
| Kentucky | 147 | 112 |
| Louisiana | 147 | 113 |
| South Carolina | 146 | 83 |
| Mississippi | 145 | 66 |
| Arkansas | 121 | 165 |
| West Virginia | 112 | 132 |
One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Administration has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 2,703 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Policy | 434 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 214 |
| Human Services | 159 |
| Other Public Administration | 81 |
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