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2025 Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia

6 Colleges in Virginia
653 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.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 653 degrees in public administration to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Public Administration School

Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia

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 Virginia Schools in Public Admin

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$74,121 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in public administration needs to check out Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 44 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Those public administration students who get their degree from Virginia Tech receive $14,663 more than the typical public admin grad.

More information about a degree in public administration from Virginia Tech

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
9.2% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat George Mason University if you want to pursue a degree in public administration. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 130 public administration students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public administration program at George Mason University get $13,933 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in public administration from George Mason 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
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$48,396 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat James Madison University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 59 public administration students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, public admin degree recipients generally earn around $48,396 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public administration from James Madison University

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
259 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
24.3% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Liberty University if you wish to pursue a degree in public administration. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg. This university ranks 11th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 259 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University 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 $57,882.

More information about a degree in public administration from Liberty University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Public Admin Degrees Awarded
$53,777 Median Starting Salary

VCU is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. This university ranks 8th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 41 public administration students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, public admin degree recipients typically make an average of $53,777 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University

6
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$55,462 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 21st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 18 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the public admin program report average early career earnings of $55,462.

More information about a degree in public administration from Regent University

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 399
Florida 282 926
North Carolina 279 436
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 651
Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies 2

View All Public Admin Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Policy 469
Human Services 61
Other Public Administration 10
Community Organization & Advocacy 7

View All Public Admin Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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