2026 Best Public Administration Schools in Washington
Public Administration degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools to find the best for public administration students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Public Administration in Washington
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public administration degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Public Administration
No school ranked higher than University Of Washington Seattle Campus this year for public administration. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. University Of Washington Seattle Campus awarded about 148 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $70,392. Typical student debt for the program is $16,481.
See the full public administration program report for University Of Washington Seattle Campus
Students looking for a strong public administration program will find one at Seattle University, which ranked #2. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Seattle. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. There were roughly 31 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Seattle University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Seattle University generally make around $68,749. Typical student debt for the program is $22,289.
Read more about the public administration program at Seattle University
The Evergreen State College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. Set in the suburb of Olympia, The Evergreen State College is a mid-sized public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 41%. About 40 public administration degrees were awarded at The Evergreen State College in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration degree from The Evergreen State College earn around $26,942 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $21,850 to complete this degree.
See the full public administration program report for The Evergreen State College
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 6 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
