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2025 Best Public Administration Schools in North Carolina

9 Colleges in North Carolina
473 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$59,458 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.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for public administration students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 473 degrees in public administration annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Administration School

Best Public Administration Schools in North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina

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 North Carolina Schools in Public Admin

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in public administration needs to take a look at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were about 62 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Those public administration students who get their degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill make $7,076 more than the average public admin grad.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
19.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in public administration has to check out North Carolina State University. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #122 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 51 public administration students who graduated with this degree at NC State 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 earnings of $51,393.

More information about a degree in public administration from North Carolina State University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Business Administration - Public Administration Program Name

Prepare yourself to make the decisions that best serve a community, its constituents and its economic growth with this specialized business degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Business Administration - Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Western Carolina University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in public administration. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 98 public administration students who graduated with this degree at WCU 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 $54,796.

More information about a degree in public administration from Western Carolina University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$59,111 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of North Carolina at Charlotte if you want to pursue a degree in public administration. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Charlotte. A Best Colleges rank of #367 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.

There were about 32 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, public admin degree recipients typically make an average of $59,111 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$46,655 Median Starting Salary

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Boone. A Best Colleges rank of #401 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Appalachian State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program report average early career wages of $46,655.

More information about a degree in public administration from Appalachian State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
10.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 17th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 37 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public admin degree recipients generally earn about $48,682 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$50,764 Median Starting Salary

UNCW is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Wilmington. This university ranks 12th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 21 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program report average early career earnings of $50,764.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MBA in Public Administration Program Name

Fit new strategic skills into your public service passion and goals when you earn an MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
1.7% Growth in Graduates

North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public university located in the large city of Durham. This university ranks 59th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 58 public administration students who graduated with this degree at North Carolina Central University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program report average early career earnings of $51,559.

More information about a degree in public administration from North Carolina Central University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$46,323 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 48th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 14 public administration students who graduated with this degree at UNC Pembroke in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, public admin degree recipients typically earn an average of $46,323 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in public administration from University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 399
Florida 282 926
Virginia 274 523
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 473

View All Public Admin Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 464
Human Services 150
Other Public Administration 14
Community Organization & Advocacy 10

View All Public Admin Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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