2023 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Public Administration Master's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 16,905 people earned a degree or certificate in public administration, making the major the #59 most popular in the United States.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 276 schools in the United States to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for public admin majors pursuing a master's degree.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Master's in Public Administration
Our 2023 rankings named Harvard University the best school in the United States for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Full Public Administration at Harvard University Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools list. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore.
Read full report on Public Administration at Johns Hopkins University
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Dakota. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools list. USD is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Vermillion.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of South Dakota
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at Northwestern University
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of Pennsylvania
Request Information
Cornell University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Request Information
Georgetown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
Read full report on Public Administration at Georgetown University
Request Information
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis.
Request Information
San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at San Jose State University
Request Information
University of Southern California came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Request Information
University of San Francisco did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. USFCA is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
Read full report on Public Administration at University of San Francisco
Request Information
With a ranking of #12, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
Full Public Administration at Columbia University in the City of New York Report
Request Information
Clemson University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Public Administration at Clemson University Report
Request Information
New York University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Full Public Administration at New York University Report
Request Information
Villanova University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Request Information
George Washington University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree public administration programs. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
Request Information
American University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at American University
Request Information
Kansas State University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree public administration programs. Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Request Information
Golden Gate University - San Francisco did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University - San Francisco is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at Golden Gate University - San Francisco
Request Information
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.
Full Public Administration at Carnegie Mellon University Report
Request Information
Virginia Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Request Information
With a ranking of #22, Metropolitan State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Request Information
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #23 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a large student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Request Information
Boston University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public administration students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Public Administration at Boston University
Request Information
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree public administration programs. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Request InformationRest of the Top Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Public Administration students that almost earned our Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Hamline University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 43 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 44 | Saginaw Valley State University | University Center, MI |
| 45 | California State University - Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA |
| 46 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
| 47 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO |
| 48 | Alfred University | Alfred, NY |
| 49 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 50 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| 51 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 52 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 53 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 54 | California Baptist University | Riverside, CA |
| 55 | National University | La Jolla, CA |
Public Administration by Region
View the Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Public Administration Rankings
Public Administration Related Rankings by Major
Public Administration is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Public Admin
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 58,326 |
| Human Services | 13,238 |
| Public Policy | 6,430 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 3,096 |
| Other Public Administration | 588 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
.jpg){kind=link}
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.