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2024 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts

7 Colleges in Massachusetts
508 Master's Degrees
$66,852 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #19 in popularity, public administration is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in Massachusetts to determine which ones were the best for public administration students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 508 master's degrees in public administration during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Administration School for Your Master's Degree

Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts The public admin master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for public administration students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The public admin school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts.


 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Public Administration in Massachusetts

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in public administration.

Top Massachusetts Schools for a Master's in Public Admin

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in public administration needs to take a look at Harvard University. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those public administration students who get their master's degree from Harvard University earn $34,119 more than the typical public admin graduate.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Harvard University

2

It is difficult to beat Anna Maria College if you want to pursue a master's degree in public administration. Anna Maria is a small private not-for-profit college located in the rural area of Paxton.

Public Administration master's degree recipients from Anna Maria College earn a boost of approximately $31,074 over the average earnings of public administration majors.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Anna Maria College

3
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

It is difficult to beat Boston University if you want to pursue a master's degree in public administration. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Public Administration master's degree recipients from Boston University earn a boost of about $5,723 above the typical earnings of public administration majors.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Boston University

3

Suffolk University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in public administration. Located in the city of Boston, Suffolk is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Master's students who receive their degree from the public admin program make an average of $63,995 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Suffolk University

4

Northeastern University is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in public administration. Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, public admin master's recipients typically make an average of $55,914 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Northeastern University

5
Clark crest
Clark University
Worcester, MA

Located in the midsize city of Worcester, Clark is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Soon after graduation, public admin master's recipients usually make around $42,833 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Clark University

6

Located in the city of Boston, UMass Boston is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the public admin program earn about $58,054 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in public administration from University of Massachusetts - Boston

7

Westfield is a small public university located in the suburb of Westfield.

Soon after graduating, public admin master's recipients generally earn an average of $53,483 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Westfield State University

9

Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston.

After graduation, public admin master's recipients generally make an average of $55,914 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in public administration from Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network

Best Public Administration Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Connecticut 153 131
Rhode Island 127 42
New Hampshire 108 12
Vermont 91 39

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One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Admin Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 508

Majors Similar to Public Admin

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 339
Community Organization & Advocacy 48
Other Public Administration 19

Notes and References

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