by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Public Administration is the 60th most popular major in the country with 16,905 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $51,352 and had an average of $29,054 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major” ranking analyzed 472 colleges that offered a degree in public administration. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their public administration program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of Menominee Nation. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Located in Keshena, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Public Administration at College of Menominee Nation
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Calumet College of Saint Joseph. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major. Whiting, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
Full Calumet College of Saint Joseph Public Administration Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Anna Maria College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major. Anna Maria College is a small school located in Paxton, Massachusetts that handed out 99 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 472 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii - West Oahu landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Hawaii - West Oahu is a public institution located in Kapolei, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 139 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 472 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Barry University landed the #5 spot on the list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 195 students in 2020-2021.
The Evergreen State College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Olympia, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
University of Guam did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #7. UOG is located in Mangilao, and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 757 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 280 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Public Administration Report
University of Baltimore did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #10. University of Baltimore is a small public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 72 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #11, Strayer University - Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Strayer University - Arkansas is a small private for-profit school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 2 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Public Administration at Strayer University - Arkansas
With a ranking of #12, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey is located in Monterey, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s public admin degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at Middlebury Institute
University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 71 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Alfred University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Alfred University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Alfred, New York. It awarded 30 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Public Administration at Alfred University
Hilbert College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. This small school is located in Hamburg, New York, and it awarded 8 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Administration at Hilbert College
University of Alaska Southeast did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Alaska Southeast is a small school located in Juneau, Alaska that handed out 29 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Metropolitan College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #17. MCNY is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 20 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Marist College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Strayer University - North Carolina ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. This small school is located in Morrisville, North Carolina, and it awarded 29 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Public Administration at Strayer University - North Carolina
Flagler College - St Augustine did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #20. Flagler College - St Augustine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Augustine, Florida. It awarded 34 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Public Administration at Flagler St. Augustine
Clark University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Clark University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Virginia International University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Virginia International University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia International University
With a ranking of #23, Notre Dame de Namur University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. NDNU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Belmont, California. It awarded 18 ’s public admin degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Notre Dame de Namur University Public Administration Report
Hawaii Pacific University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s public admin students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Administration at Hawaii Pacific University
Southern University and A & M College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public admin degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
Full Southern University and A & M College Public Administration Report
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY |
| 52 | Park University | Parkville, MO |
| 53 | Belhaven University | Jackson, MS |
| 54 | Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus | Teaneck, NJ |
| 55 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA |
| 56 | Medgar Evers College | Brooklyn, NY |
| 57 | Kentucky State University | Frankfort, KY |
| 58 | West Virginia State University | Institute, WV |
| 59 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 60 | Walden University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 61 | University of La Verne | La Verne, CA |
| 62 | Strayer University - South Carolina | Greenville, SC |
| 63 | Norwich University | Northfield, VT |
| 64 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 65 | Savannah State University | Savannah, GA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Southern University at New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| 67 | Franklin University | Columbus, OH |
| 68 | Kean University | Union, NJ |
| 69 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 70 | Touro University Worldwide | Los Alamitos, CA |
| 71 | South University, Columbia | Columbia, SC |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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