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2024 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

20 Colleges in the Plains States Region
872 Master's Degrees
$50,490 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Administration is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #19 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 20 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 872 master's degrees in public administration during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Administration School for Your Master's Degree

Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of public administration for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality public admin program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The public admin school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.


 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Public Administration in the Plains States Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in public administration.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools for a Master's in Public Admin

1

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in public administration has to look into University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.

Those public administration students who get their master's degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities receive $32,744 more than the average public admin student.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2

It is hard to beat University of Missouri - Columbia if you want to pursue a master's degree in public administration. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia.

Public Administration master's degree recipients from University of Missouri - Columbia receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,723 above the typical earnings of public administration graduates.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Missouri - Columbia

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS

University of Kansas is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in public administration. KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence.

Public Administration master's degree recipients from University of Kansas get an earnings boost of about $6,056 above the average earnings of public administration majors.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Kansas

4
20 Annual Graduates

University of South Dakota is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in public administration. Located in the town of Vermillion, USD is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in public administration from University of South Dakota

5
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in public administration from University of North Dakota

5
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN

Located in the city of Minneapolis, Walden University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program report average early career wages of $50,053.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Walden University

6
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN

Located in the city of Saint Paul, Hamline is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Master's recipients from the public administration program at Hamline University make $10,829 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Hamline University

7
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the public admin program make around $52,011 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Capella University

8

Located in the city of Omaha, UNOMAHA is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the public administration program at University of Nebraska at Omaha get $4,561 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Nebraska at Omaha

9

Located in the remote area of Fayette, UIU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public admin program report average early career wages of $50,748.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Upper Iowa University

Best Public Administration Colleges by State

Explore the best public administration schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 193 294
Minnesota 174 322
Iowa 154 62
Kansas 149 70
Nebraska 123 90
North Dakota 115 14
South Dakota 89 20

View All Rankings >

Public Administration is one of 4 different types of Public Administration & Social Service programs to choose from.

Public Admin Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 872

Related Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 365
Community Organization & Advocacy 120
Public Policy 107
Other Public Administration 2

Notes and References

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