College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Public Administration Schools in North Carolina

12 Colleges in North Carolina
469 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$48,458 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in public administration, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #60 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual reviewed 12 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of public administration. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 469 degrees in public administration during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration School

Best Public Administration Schools in North Carolina The public admin program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Administration rankings. We derive our Best Overall Public Administration School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Public Administration Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Admin
Master's Degrees in Public Admin
Doctor's Degrees in Public Admin

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 Schools in North Carolina list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Public Administration in North Carolina

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public admin degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top North Carolina Schools in Public Admin

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$57,005 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in public administration has to look into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 60 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration degree program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill make $8,547 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$52,610 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in public administration needs to look into North Carolina State University. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 41 public administration students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent data year. Public Administration degree recipients from North Carolina State University get an earnings boost of about $4,152 over the average income of public administration majors.

More information about a degree in public administration from North Carolina State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
25.6% Growth in Graduates

Western Carolina University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in public administration. Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 17th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 86 public administration students who graduated with this degree at WCU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program state that they receive average early career income of $48,896.

More information about a degree in public administration from Western Carolina University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In NC

East Carolina University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in public administration. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #414 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 12 public administration students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from East Carolina University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Boone. A Best Colleges rank of #445 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Appalachian State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 40 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public admin program earn around $46,799 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public administration from Appalachian State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
51.3% Growth in Graduates

UNC Charlotte is a very large public university located in the large city of Charlotte. A Best Colleges rank of #378 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.

There were roughly 39 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program state that they receive average early career earnings of $48,045.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
33.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 33 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program report average early career earnings of $47,294.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

8

UNCW is a large public university located in the city of Wilmington. A Best Colleges rank of #457 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNCW is a great university overall.

There were roughly 21 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public admin degree recipients generally make around $46,594 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$42,351 Median Starting Salary

North Carolina Central University is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Durham. This university ranks 61st out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 57 public administration students who graduated with this degree at North Carolina Central University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program report average early career wages of $42,351.

More information about a degree in public administration from North Carolina Central University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In NC

Fayetteville State University is a medium-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Fayetteville. This university ranks 65th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 12 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Fayetteville State University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public administration from Fayetteville State University

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 399
Florida 282 926
Virginia 274 523
Tennessee 269 81
South Carolina 248 83
Kentucky 244 118
Louisiana 242 121
Mississippi 234 80
Arkansas 234 179
Alabama 233 358
West Virginia 207 132

View All Rankings >

Public Administration is one of 4 different types of Public Administration & Social Service programs to choose from.

Public Admin Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 469

View All Public Admin Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 463
Human Services 129
Other Public Administration 14
Community Organization & Advocacy 8

View All Public Admin Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options