2026 Best Public Administration Schools in South Carolina

Public Administration is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 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 Public Administration Schools in South Carolina

Best Schools for Public Administration in South Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall public administration education in South Carolina.

Top Schools in Public Administration

1

Clemson University
Clemson, SC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

42 Public Administration Degrees Awarded

$65,949 Median Starting Salary

Clemson University tops our 2026 ranking of the best public administration schools. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public institution. About 87% of students finish within six years. About 42 public administration degrees were awarded at Clemson University in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration program make about $65,949 in their early career. Clemson University graduates carry a median of $23,783 in student loans. Get the full public administration details for Clemson University

2

College Of Charleston
Charleston, SC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

20 Public Administration Degrees Awarded

$51,115 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong public administration program will find one at College Of Charleston, which ranked #2. College Of Charleston is a large public school located in the city of Charleston. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. College Of Charleston awarded about 20 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of College Of Charleston earn a median of $51,115 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,733 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in public administration from College Of Charleston

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 · 9 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.