2026 Most Popular Public Administration Schools
There are 501 colleges that offer a degree in Public Administration. The most popular schools, by student demand, are below:
Finding the Best Public Administration School for You
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which Public Administration program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you’re no longer limited to schools in your local area.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 501 schools in the United States offering Public Administration programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Public Administration Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Public Administration Schools.
Top 25 Most Popular Public Administration Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Public Administration students is Indiana University-Bloomington. Indiana University-Bloomington is a public school located in Bloomington, IN. During the most recent year for which we have data, 556 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,621. Read More…
Columbia University in the City of New York comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 409 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $75,228. Full Public Administration at Columbia University in the City of New York Report
Harvard University comes in at #3 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Harvard University is a private nonprofit school located in Cambridge, MA. This school awarded 263 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $92,518. Read full report on Public Administration at Harvard University
New York University landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. New York University is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 262 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,956. Read More…
Syracuse University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in Syracuse, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 237 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $50,956. Full Public Administration at Syracuse University Report
Liberty University comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Liberty University is a private nonprofit school located in Lynchburg, VA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 230 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,414. Full Public Administration at Liberty University Report
University of Phoenix-Arizona comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in Phoenix, AZ, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 228 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $52,226. Full Public Administration at University of Phoenix-Arizona Report
Walden University comes in at #8 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Walden University is a private for-profit school located in Minneapolis, MN. This school awarded 202 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $76,759. Read More…
California State University-Northridge comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in Northridge, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 173 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $36,905. Read More…
Grand Canyon University landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit school located in Phoenix, AZ. This school awarded 173 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $62,543. Full Public Administration at Grand Canyon University Report
University of Southern California comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in Los Angeles, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 172 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read More…
Ohio State University-Main Campus landed the #12 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. This school awarded 171 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,087. Full Public Administration at Ohio State University-Main Campus Report
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Located in New York, NY, this is a public institution. This school awarded 170 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $51,920. Read full report on Public Administration at CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit school located in Philadelphia, PA. This school awarded 169 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $86,069. Read full report on Public Administration at University of Pennsylvania
American University comes in at #15 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in Washington, DC, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 162 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $50,329. Full Public Administration at American University Report
Columbia Southern University landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Located in Orange Beach, AL, this is a private for-profit institution. This school awarded 160 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $68,574. Read More…
University of Central Florida landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Located in Orlando, FL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 158 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,960. Read full report on Public Administration at University of Central Florida
Texas A&M University-College Station landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Located in College Station, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 153 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $54,018. Full Public Administration at Texas A&M University-College Station Report
University of Washington-Seattle Campus comes in at #19 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. University of Washington-Seattle Campus is a public school located in Seattle, WA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 148 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,990. Full Public Administration at University of Washington-Seattle Campus Report
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in New York, NY, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 145 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $38,864. Full Public Administration at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice Report
Florida International University comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Florida International University is a public school located in Miami, FL. This school awarded 139 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,919. Read More…
California State University-Dominguez Hills comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. California State University-Dominguez Hills is a public school located in Carson, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 133 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $37,973. Full Public Administration at California State University-Dominguez Hills Report
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a public school located in Denver, CO. This school awarded 132 degrees in Public Administration in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,987. Full Public Administration at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Report
Western Carolina University landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking. Western Carolina University is a public school located in Cullowhee, NC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 130 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,015. Read More…
Cornell University comes in at #25 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Public Administration majors. Located in Ithaca, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 129 people earned their degree in Public Administration from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $70,710. Read full report on Public Administration at Cornell University
Rest of the Top Most Popular Public Administration Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that also graduate students in this major every year.
Public Administration by Region
See the most popular Public Administration schools in a specific region of the United States.
| Region |
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| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Public Administration Rankings
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the Most Popular Public Administration Schools ranking, along with other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Majors Related to Public Administration
Public Administration Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 13,898 |
| Public Administration, Other | 53 |
| Public Works Management | 24 |
| Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies | 18 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 58,176 |
| Human Services | 11,674 |
| Public Policy | 6,183 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 2,651 |
| Other Public Administration | 518 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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