2026 Best Public Administration Schools in Kentucky
Public Administration programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their public administration programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public administration students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Public Administration in Kentucky
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
University Of Kentucky is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public administration. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. About 71% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 31 public administration students who graduated with this degree at University Of Kentucky in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $57,725. Typical student debt for the program is $24,094.
See the full public administration program report for University Of Kentucky
Murray State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public administration, ranking #2. Set in the town of Murray, Murray State University is a large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. About 31 public administration degrees were awarded at Murray State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Murray State University earn around $53,876 in the first couple years of their career. Murray State University graduates carry a median of $23,420 in student loans.
Read more about the public administration program at Murray State University
Northern Kentucky University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. Set in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a large public institution. About 54% of students finish within six years. About 11 public administration degrees were awarded at Northern Kentucky University in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration program make about $58,199 in their early career. Northern Kentucky University graduates carry a median of $25,572 in student loans.
Read more about the public administration program at Northern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. Eastern Kentucky University is a large public school located in the town of Richmond. About 55% of students finish within six years. Eastern Kentucky University awarded about 30 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median of $54,235 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,122 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in public administration from Eastern Kentucky University
More Public Administration Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 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.
