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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration

173 Ranked Colleges
2,694 Degrees Awarded
$44,291 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Public Admin Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2021-2022, 16,043 people earned their degree in public administration, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States. In , public administration graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $51,600 and had an average of $39,769 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,694 public administration graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major” ranking looked at 173 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration Schools

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More Public Admin Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree public admin students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Administration

1

Out of the 173 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii - West Oahu landed the #1 spot on the list. UH West Oahu is a public institution located in Kapolei, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 131 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 UH West Oahu

2
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College of Menominee Nation
Keshena, Wisconsin

Out of the 173 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, College of Menominee Nation landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Keshena, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Public Administration at CMN

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 448 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Public Administration at Indiana University - Bloomington

4

Out of the 173 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan College of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Administration at MCNY

5
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Flagler College - St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Florida

Out of the 173 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Flagler College - St Augustine landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Saint Augustine, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Flagler St. Augustine

6
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University of Guam
Mangilao, Guam

University of Guam did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #6. University of Guam is located in Mangilao, Guam and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at University of Guam

7
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Barry University
Miami, Florida

Barry University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Barry University Public Administration Report

8
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Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #8, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Fort Wayne, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 31 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at PFW

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Maine at Fort Kent did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. University of Maine at Fort Kent is located in Fort Kent, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration at UMFK

10
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Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Western Carolina University is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 90 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Western Carolina University

11

Southern University at New Orleans came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at Southern University at New Orleans

12
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Talladega College
Talladega, Alabama

Talladega College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Talladega College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Talladega, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Talladega College Public Administration Report

13

Upper Iowa University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Upper Iowa University is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at UIU

14
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Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, New York

Medgar Evers College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this small public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public admin students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Medgar Public Administration Report

15

John Jay College of Criminal Justice ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at John Jay

16

Indiana University - Kokomo came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. This small school is located in Kokomo, Indiana, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration at Indiana University - Kokomo

17
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Park University
Parkville, Missouri

With a ranking of #17, Park University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 36 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Park University Public Administration Report

18
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University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. This medium-sized school is located in La Verne, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of La Verne

19

University of Maine at Augusta ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. This small school is located in Augusta, Maine, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at University of Maine at Augusta

20
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Syracuse is located in Syracuse, New York and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 85 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Syracuse Public Administration Report

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #21. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

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 California State University - Dominguez Hills

22
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Kean University
Union, New Jersey

Kean University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. Kean University is located in Union, New Jersey and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s public admin degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Kean University

23
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James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 48 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Full James Madison University Public Administration Report

24
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public admin degrees to 76 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Public Administration Report

25

Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Gary, Indiana, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s public admin degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration at IU Northwest

Rest of the Best 26 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Admin Major

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26

Notes and References

References

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