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2024 Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools

85 Colleges in the United States
3,076 Bachelor's Degrees
$44,563 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in public administration, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #103 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 85 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,076 bachelor's degrees in public administration to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools The public admin bachelor'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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for public administration students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.


 

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Public Administration in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor'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.

12 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Public Admin

1
589 Annual Graduates
$44,780 Median Starting Salary
$20,731 Median Student Debt

Indiana University - Bloomington is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduating, public admin bachelor's recipients usually earn around $44,780 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from Indiana University - Bloomington

2
93 Annual Graduates
$34,336 Median Starting Salary
$21,887 Median Student Debt

Ohio State University - Main Campus is a great option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduation, public admin bachelor's recipients generally make an average of $34,336 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from Ohio State University - Main Campus

3
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
79 Annual Graduates
$48,017 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Syracuse University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the public administration degree program at Syracuse University earn $3,454 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from Syracuse University

4
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, WA
10 Annual Graduates

Seattle University is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in public administration. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from Seattle University

5
122 Annual Graduates
$44,177 Median Starting Salary
$27,022 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Miami, FIU is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the public admin program make about $44,177 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from Florida International University

6
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from University of Kansas

7
44 Annual Graduates
$65,244 Median Starting Salary
$37,500 Median Student Debt

CSUN is a very large public university located in the large city of Northridge.

Public Administration bachelor's degree recipients from California State University - Northridge receive an earnings boost of approximately $20,681 over the average earnings of public administration graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from California State University - Northridge

8
9 Annual Graduates

UND is a large public university located in the city of Grand Forks.More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from University of North Dakota

9
106 Annual Graduates
$34,977 Median Starting Salary
$15,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the public admin program report average early career earnings of $34,977.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from San Diego State University

10
76 Annual Graduates
$55,712 Median Starting Salary
$18,375 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Public Administration bachelor's degree recipients from Western Carolina University earn a boost of about $11,149 over the typical earnings of public administration majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from Western Carolina University

11
55 Annual Graduates
$35,784 Median Starting Salary
$16,166 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Eugene, UO is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the public admin program make about $35,784 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from University of Oregon

12
33 Annual Graduates
$39,354 Median Starting Salary
$20,106 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the public admin program report average early career income of $39,354.

More information about a bachelor’s in public administration from George Mason University

Honorable Mentions

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
13 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
14 Barry University Miami, FL
15 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
15 Villanova University Villanova, PA
16 Auburn University Auburn, AL
17 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
18 Winona State University Winona, MN
19 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
20 Roger Williams University Bristol, RI
20 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
21 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

Public Administration by Region

View the Best Public Administration Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Admin Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 3,076

Related Major Annual Graduates
Human Services 6,292
Public Policy 2,603
Community Organization & Advocacy 1,884
Other Public Administration 157

Notes and References

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Degree Guides by Major
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