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2024 Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia

8 Colleges in Virginia
604 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$48,548 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 8 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 604 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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia

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.

Top Virginia Schools in Public Admin

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$59,370 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in public administration has to check out Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 44 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Public Administration degree recipients from Virginia Tech earn a boost of about $10,822 above the typical earnings of public administration graduates.

More information about a degree in public administration from Virginia Tech

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
27.1% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat George Mason University if you want to pursue a degree in public administration. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 118 public administration students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Public Administration degree recipients from George Mason University get an earnings boost of approximately $4,370 above the average earnings of public administration majors.

More information about a degree in public administration from George Mason University

3
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat James Madison University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 79 public administration students who graduated with this degree at JMU 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 $43,511.

More information about a degree in public administration from James Madison University

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
196 Public Admin Degrees Awarded

It is hard to beat Liberty University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg. This university ranks 12th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 196 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public administration from Liberty University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$48,484 Median Starting Salary

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 41 public administration students who graduated with this degree at VCU 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 income of $48,484.

More information about a degree in public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$51,021 Median Starting Salary

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. This university ranks 14th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 44 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration students who get their degree from Old Dominion University receive $2,473 more than the standard public admin student.

More information about a degree in public administration from Old Dominion University

7
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
34.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 32 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, public admin degree recipients generally earn around $44,130 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public administration from Regent University

8

Strayer University - Virginia is a small private for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Arlington. This university ranks 28th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 20 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Strayer University - Virginia 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 income of $44,452.

More information about a degree in public administration from Strayer University - Virginia

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
North Carolina 279 436
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 604

View All Public Admin Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 470
Human Services 64
Other Public Administration 8
Community Organization & Advocacy 1

View All Public Admin Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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