Best Colleges with Public Administration Degrees in the U.S.
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.
The Best Public Administration Colleges of 2017
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana University-Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
Indiana University-Bloomington offers 4 Public Administration Degree programs. It's a large public university in a small city. In 2015, 730 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 509 Bachelor's degrees, 216 Master's degrees, 4 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Certificates degree. | Based on 112 Reviews |
Read more: Indiana University-Bloomington Reviews
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| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY |
Columbia University in the City of New York offers 1 Public Administration Degree program. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 499 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 499 Master's degrees. | Based on 20 Reviews | ||
| 3 | Harvard University | Cambridge, MA |
Harvard University offers 1 Public Administration Degree program. It's a large private university in a mid sized city. In 2015, 370 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 370 Master's degrees. | Based on 44 Reviews |
Read more: Harvard University Reviews
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| 4 | New York University | New York, NY |
New York University offers 4 Public Administration Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 288 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 283 Master's degrees, 4 Doctoral degrees, 1 Certificates degree. | Based on 60 Reviews |
Read more: New York University Reviews
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| 5 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
Syracuse University offers 5 Public Administration Degree programs. It's a large private university in a mid sized city. In 2015, 250 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 151 Master's degrees, 80 Bachelor's degrees, 15 Certificates degrees, and 4 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 60 Reviews |
Read more: Syracuse University Reviews
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| 6 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA |
University of Southern California offers 1 Public Administration Degree program. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 173 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 173 Master's degrees. | Based on 52 Reviews |
Read more: University of Southern California Reviews
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| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus offers 4 Public Administration Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 235 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 231 Master's degrees, and 4 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 144 Reviews | ||
| 8 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
Northwestern University offers 2 Public Administration Degree programs. It's a large private university in a small city. In 2015, 108 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 108 Master's degrees. | Based on 40 Reviews |
Read more: Northwestern University Reviews
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| 9 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
Cornell University offers 1 Public Administration Degree program. It's a large private university in a small city. In 2015, 103 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 103 Master's degrees. | Based on 100 Reviews |
Read more: Cornell University Reviews
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| 10 | California State University-Northridge | Northridge, CA |
California State University-Northridge offers 2 Public Administration Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 346 students graduated in the study area of Public Administration with students earning 322 Master's degrees, and 24 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 28 Reviews |
List of Public Administration Schools in the U.S.
| School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN |
3/5
|
23 : 1 | 48,514 |
|
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY |
5/5
|
7 : 1 | 28,086 |
|
Harvard University Cambridge, MA |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 29,652 |
|
New York University New York, NY |
5/5
|
8 : 1 | 50,027 |
|
Syracuse University Syracuse, NY |
5/5
|
18 : 1 | 21,789 |
|
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA |
5/5
|
16 : 1 | 43,401 |
|
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA |
3/5
|
12 : 1 | 45,408 |
|
Northwestern University Evanston, IL |
5/5
|
10 : 1 | 21,655 |
|
|
Cornell University Ithaca, NY |
5/5
|
12 : 1 | 21,904 |
|
California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA |
2/5
|
32 : 1 | 41,548 |
|
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA |
5/5
|
12 : 1 | 24,876 |
|
American University Washington, DC |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 13,198 |
|
San Diego State University San Diego, CA |
2/5
|
31 : 1 | 34,254 |
|
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY |
2/5
|
23 : 1 | 14,732 |
|
Barry University Miami, FL |
5/5
|
16 : 1 | 7,971 |
|
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD |
5/5
|
6 : 1 | 22,686 |
|
Villanova University Villanova, PA |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 10,711 |
|
Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH |
3/5
|
15 : 1 | 58,663 |
|
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY |
2/5
|
25 : 1 | 18,433 |
|
Florida International University Miami, FL |
2/5
|
34 : 1 | 49,782 |
|
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 12,963 |
|
The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX |
3/5
|
28 : 1 | 24,554 |
|
George Washington University Washington, DC |
5/5
|
17 : 1 | 26,212 |
|
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 12,292 |
|
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA |
4/5
|
7 : 1 | 28,649 |
Find Local Colleges Offering Public Administration Degrees
Getting a Public Administration Degree Online
Schools offering online Public Administration degrees
Online Public Administration degrees are available at a variety of different schools with as many as 298 degrees earned at the most popular school. Read more below about all schools that have offered online Public Administration degrees. If you are interested learning more about getting a degree online, check out our page dedicated to online degree information.
| School Name | Certificate | Associate's | Bachelor's | Master's | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | 0 | 0 | 61 | 237 | 0 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 216 | 0 |
| National University | 0 | 0 | 21 | 176 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon University | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 |
| Walden University | 11 | 0 | 29 | 155 | 0 |
- 34 Certificates
- 8 Associate's
- 50 Bachelor's
- 99 Master's
What degrees do people get in Public Administration?
| Degree Level | Program Length | Colleges | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's | 2-year Length | 47 Colleges | 138 Graduates |
| Bachelor's | 4-year Length | 217 Colleges | 3,437 Graduates |
| Certificates | < 1 year Length | 116 Colleges | 645 Graduates |
| Doctoral | 1-2 year Length | 48 Colleges | 288 Graduates |
| Master's | 1+ years Length | 393 Colleges | 12,868 Graduates |
Public Administration Degree Overview
Researching a Public Administration degree you will find that there are many options for a traditional degree as well as higher education opportunities. Earning a degree in Public Administration may take more time than just your traditional degree as it is prevalent to acquire advanced degrees in complement to the traditional. The most commonplace Public Administration degree earned was a master's degree and it also has the widest range of school possibilities as well. The second most popular Public Administration degree that people receive is a bachelor's degree. While a master's degree is the likely degree choice, earning a bachelor's degree degree isn't out of the question. Although an associate's degree is offered at some schools, getting a traditional degree is not very common. With your goals in mind, look for the Public Administration degree that can match your flexibility and needs in addition to finding a school with the right opportunities for you to earn that degree.
Average cost of college for a Public Administration degree
Average Tuition and Fees for a 2 year Degree
| Average Tuition and Fees | School Control | Student Residence |
|---|---|---|
| $3,472 | Public | In-State |
| $7,399 | Public | Out-of-State |
Average Tuition and Fees for a 4 year Degree
| Average Tuition and Fees | School Control | Student Residence |
|---|---|---|
| $8,252 | Public | In-State |
| $23,512 | Private | In-State |
| $19,459 | Public | Out-of-State |
| $23,512 | Private | Out-of-State |