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2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major

472 Ranked Colleges
16,905 Degrees Awarded
$32,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Admin Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major” ranking.

Public Administration is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,905 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major” ranking looked at 472 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public administration. To top this list, a school must have a successful public administration program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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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 “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Public Admin Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major”.

1

Out of the 472 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #1 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 757 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Read more about Public Administration at IU Bloomington

2

Out of the 472 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 374 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Administration at Columbia

3
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 472 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large private for-profit school handed out 301 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Walden University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 309 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at CSUN

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 280 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full John Jay Public Administration Report

6
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 281 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. 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 more about Public Administration at Syracuse

7
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

Grand Canyon University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Grand Canyon University

8

Florida International University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 262 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at FIU

9
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 208 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Baruch College

10

University of Phoenix - Arizona came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 196 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Phoenix - Arizona

11
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

Barry University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #11. Barry University is a medium-sized school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 195 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration at Barry University

12
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 193 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Administration at Harvard University

13
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 191 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Public Administration at NYU

14

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #14. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 185 ’s public admin degrees 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 3.6% 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%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Public Administration Report

15

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 190 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

16
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 196 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Liberty University Public Administration Report

17
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 172 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 SDSU

18
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 175 degrees to qualified ’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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at American University

18

University of Central Florida landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. UCF is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 222 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UCF

20

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

21
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 164 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Southern California

22

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. Located in Denver, Colorado, this large public school handed out 160 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students 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%.

Full CU Anschutz Public Administration Report

23

University of Hawaii - West Oahu ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major list. This small school is located in Kapolei, Hawaii, and it awarded 139 ’s public admin degrees 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UH West Oahu

23
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. Rutgers Newark is a public institution located in Newark, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 139 ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Rutgers Newark Public Administration Report

25

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 129 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Public Administration Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Public Admin Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Columbia Southern University crest
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, Alabama
27
28
29
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
30
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California
31
31
33
Anna Maria crest
Anna Maria College
Paxton, Massachusetts
34
35
36
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
36
38
39
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
40
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina
41
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
42
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota
43
Marist crest
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, New York
44
44
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
46
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
47
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
47
47
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Public Admin Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
52Troy UniversityTroy, AL
52University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD
52Park UniversityParkville, MO
55Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
55Kean UniversityUnion, NJ
57Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
58Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
59University of OregonEugene, OR
60University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphi, MD
60George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
60University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
63California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
63California State University - East BayHayward, CA
63University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
RankCollegeLocation
66University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
67Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
67Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
69Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
70University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
70University of Illinois at SpringfieldSpringfield, IL
70Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, UT

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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