Best Public Administration colleges in the U.S. 2024

Public administration is a four-year degree and is offered at many universities. It is an interdisciplinary degree that incorporates coursework from political science, statistics, public policy, human resources, finance, city planning and criminal justice. While there is some theory involved in the study, it is more geared towards a practitioner career in public service.

Students who complete their public administration degree often go into working in all levels of government, from local to federal. This degree prepares students for management roles in and out of the public and nonprofit sectors. But don’t fret if the government route isn’t your ideal career - this degree can also be used in the private industry as well. Public administration is great for students who want to have a variety of directions in which to seek employment, as students learn both technical skills, like statistics and finance, and soft skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, and writing.

Click Here to See the Best Colleges in the US

Best Public Administration colleges in the U.S. for 2024

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

Cornell University offers 1 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 73 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 73 Master's degrees.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers 2 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 62 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 62 Master's degrees.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor offers 1 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University offers 5 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 42 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 28 Master's degrees, 11 Certificates, and 3 Doctoral degrees.

University of Washington-Seattle Campus offers 2 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 203 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 197 Master's degrees, and 6 Doctoral degrees.

Indiana University-Bloomington offers 4 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 612 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 448 Bachelor's degrees, 155 Master's degrees, 5 Doctoral degrees, and 4 Certificates.

Image by @ojas_

Northwestern University offers 2 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 90 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 87 Master's degrees, and 3 Certificates.

Image by Comayagua99

Florida International University offers 5 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 266 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 102 Bachelor's degrees, 95 Master's degrees, 61 Certificates, and 8 Doctoral degrees.

Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

Syracuse University offers 5 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 292 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 184 Master's degrees, 85 Bachelor's degrees, 21 Certificates, and 2 Doctoral degrees.

Ohio State University-Main Campus offers 4 Public Administration degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 218 Public Administration students graduated with students earning 103 Master's degrees, 95 Bachelor's degrees, 16 Certificates, and 4 Doctoral degrees.

List of all Public Administration colleges in the U.S.

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Cornell University Logo Cornell University Ithaca, NY
5/5
14 : 1 25,898
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Logo University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
3/5
19 : 1 31,705
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Logo University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
4/5
13 : 1 51,225
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Logo Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA
3/5
18 : 1 38,170
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Logo University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
3/5
25 : 1 52,319