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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Public Administration in the Southeast Region

128 Ranked Colleges
3,743 Degrees Awarded
$28,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 3,743 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,873 and $30,563 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 128 colleges that offered a degree 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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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 in the Southeast Region” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 262 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Public Administration at FIU

2
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Barry University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region. Barry University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 195 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Administration at Barry University

3
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Out of the 128 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 196 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Full Liberty University Public Administration Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 222 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UCF

5
Columbia Southern University crest
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, Alabama

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia Southern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Orange Beach, Alabama is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration at Columbia Southern University

6

Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Jonesboro, Arkansas that handed out 121 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at A-State

7
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

With a ranking of #7, George Mason University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this large public school handed out 118 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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.

Read full report on Public Administration at George Mason University

8
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #8. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Administration at American Public University System

9
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. WCU is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration at Western Carolina University

10
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #10, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 81 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full UGA Public Administration Report

11
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 89%.

Read more about Public Administration at James Madison University

11
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 79 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

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

13
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama

Troy University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Troy University is located in Troy, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Administration at Troy University

14

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 60 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Public Administration Report

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #15, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Florida State University

16
North Carolina Central University crest
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

North Carolina Central University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. North Carolina Central University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Public Administration at North Carolina Central University

17
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Auburn University is a large public school situated in Auburn, Alabama. It awarded 60 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Public Administration at Auburn University

18

Southern University and A & M College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #18. Southern University and A & M College is a medium-sized school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 47 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration at Southern University and A & M College

19
Belhaven crest
Belhaven University
Jackson, Mississippi

Belhaven University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Administration at Belhaven

20
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Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. VSU is located in Valdosta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

Full VSU Public Administration Report

21
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia

With a ranking of #21, Kennesaw State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Kennesaw State University is located in Kennesaw, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full KSU Georgia Public Administration Report

21
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Old Dominion is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 44 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Administration at Old Dominion

23
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Kentucky

23
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

With a ranking of #23, Clemson University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region list. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Clemson

25
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Admin Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students 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 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Appalachian State University

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