### SUMMARY

 A degree in Public Administration is not only a valuable choice, but frequently a necessary first step for students hoping to enter a career as an organizational development consultant, a program coordinator, or a city manager. Interestingly, public administration is somewhat popular ranking as the 111th most popular area of study. Last academic year alone, there were 3,195 public administration degrees conferred. In-state tuition for public administration at private colleges is, on average, 3.2 times more pricey than their public rivals.

 There are 184 universities that offer this degree. 184 colleges is on par with other programs offered in the United States. If you're hoping to immerse yourself with other public administration undergrads, look at universities in Indiana which have more undergraduates admitted to public administration than any other state. less precisely, the top region to study public administration is in the Great Lakes region with [Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis](/colleges/indiana-university-purdue-university-indianapolis), [Indiana University-Bloomington](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington), and [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection of the top conference to study public administration is the Big Ten Conference with [Indiana University-Bloomington](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington) representing the conference. On that topic, our selection for the best university for public administration is [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university). You may also want to check out our list of [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The objectively 'best' school does not mean it is the best school for you. There are tons of angels to think about when selecting school. External stuff such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food could impact one's decision on where to go to university. Here at authority.org, we weighed the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you want to know which public administration college is home to the top campus, the answer is [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university). If you are very interested in which college boasts the best campus, then we have an entire page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, government databases, student reviews, and more in order to compare every major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can explore our well researched list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand, from that list, our choice for the university with the best student life for public administration is [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university). Curious why? Keep reading to find out more about Authority's top choices. Many of our picks will probably surprise you.

 If cost is a significant deciding factor in your decision on where to go to college, you might consider avoiding [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university). [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university)&nbspis the most expensive college for public administration, at least for out of state enrollment. We do have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that could put the price tag at [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university)&nbspinto perspective. Additionally, you may want to know that public administration is the 338th most expensive program in America, with an average associated cost of $20,200. On a broader scale, the most costly state for public administration on our list is Washington with costs at the primary college, Seattle University, of $45,765. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region of the country for public administration is the Far West region which is best demonstrated with [University of California-Riverside](/colleges/university-of-california-riverside) with a cost of $41,196, [University of La Verne](/colleges/university-of-la-verne) with a cost of $43,440, and [Seattle University](/colleges/seattle-university) with a cost of $45,765.

 Our cheapest region for public administration is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Colorado State University-Global Campus](/colleges/colorado-state-university-global-campus) with a cost of $8,400. In better news, the most affordable school for public administration is [CUNY Bernard M Baruch College](/colleges/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college). Our comprehensive list of the most affordable schools can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state learners can anticipate paying around $9,500 for a degree in public administration. The cost grows by a lot to an average of $21,700 for an out-of-state public-school undergraduate. Our selection for the college representing the best value for public administration: [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university). Here you will see our comprehensive list about the colleges we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Do know, this idea is predicated on being an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when it comes to in-state tuition, as such, we are using out-of-state tuition as the baseline.

 Earnings for public administration majors vary a lot, but within two-years of finishing the degree graduates will often make around $61,100. There is a lot of variation in earnings potential; top positions can experience pay up to $124,600. Straight out of school, the lowest end positions within the public administration field earn $29,900, which isn't that bad. The top earning grads from public administration graduated from [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university)&nbspand if you are looking for schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The overall diversity of public administration is high, ranking in the 87th percentile of all programs. The university with the most composite diversity for public administration is [Seattle University](/colleges/seattle-university)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the universities with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of Public Administration only is in the 36th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is greater than financial diversity, in the 87th percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest share, 50%, of scholars majoring in public administration. Additionally, 55% of undergraduates seeking a public administration degree are women.

 The median ranking of public administration's professors is 4 stars, a ranking which is right on the average score across all majors; which is a fine. If you want to find the most popular public administration instructor in the country, look no further than Cynthia Ruszkowski at [Illinois State University](/colleges/illinois-state-university). It may come as a shock, but the best ranked professors for public administration from student rankings are found at [Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach](/colleges/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-daytona-beach). As we incorporate data beyond basic rankings it becomes clear that the university with the best professors for public administration is [University of California-Riverside](/colleges/university-of-california-riverside). You will find more detail on our evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the top examples of instructors in the U.S.

 Finally, the most difficult school to get into for public administration is [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we have a comprehensive page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we hope you understand that approaching university from context only informed by superlatives could be said to be the root of many of higher education's fundamental problems. We at Authority encourage you to look at some of our other pages on different topics and explore a few of Authority's background pages on beneficial things to think about as you progress with your university search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Public administration is the 111th most popular degree in America, with 3,195 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #112 [Human Sciences](/rankings/best-colleges-for-human-sciences), and narrowly lost to #110 [Creative Writing](/rankings/best-colleges-for-creative-writing).

 The degree is offered at a total of 184 colleges across the nation, and is the 110th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 4% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that a little north of five in every eight colleges offering public administration are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The great lakes produces the most public administration graduates, largely led by [Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis](/colleges/indiana-university-purdue-university-indianapolis), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, Indiana ranks highest, with particular help from [Purdue University Fort Wayne](/colleges/purdue-university-fort-wayne) and [Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis](/colleges/indiana-university-purdue-university-indianapolis).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more public administration graduates than [University of Alabama at Birmingham](/colleges/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham), which graduated 614 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study public administration). More students studied public administration as a percentage of total students at [University of Hawaii-West Oahu](/colleges/university-of-hawaii-west-oahu) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Public administration is the 338th most expensive degree in the United States, with a median cost of $20,237 amongst the top 50 programs (just ahead of #339, [Respiratory Care Therapy](rankings/best-colleges-for-respiratory-care-therapy), with a median cost of $20,096).

 The Far West has the most expensive colleges with first-class public administration programs predominantly led by [University of California-Riverside](/colleges/university-of-california-riverside) with an annual cost of $41,196. Washington is the most expensive state for public administration led by [Seattle University](/colleges/seattle-university).

 Public schools with good programs typically charge 68.93% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 29.28% less than the median private school. So make sure to take a look at public shools in your state ASAP.

 The most expensive top 25 college for public administration is [Syracuse University](/colleges/syracuse-university), which is the 94th most expensive college in the nation. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Western Carolina University](/colleges/western-carolina-university). It costs just $5,000 per year, and it's ranked 46th for its public administration program. If you’re looking for the least expensive option in the top 25, [Florida Atlantic University](/colleges/florida-atlantic-university)  is probably a good fit for you, ranked #25 with an in-state cost of just $2,522. Another more affordable pick would be #3, [CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice](/colleges/cuny-john-jay-college-of-criminal-justice) in New York County, NY with a cost of $6,930 for in-state students and $14,880 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Going to college is a huge investment for most. It's critical to ensure you justify your cash outlay. We aim for the following career and earnings facts to help you in deciding your major at college.

 In year one out of school, Public Administration majors bring in $50,612 per year on average (top 21%). Further into their careers, they can bring home as much as $124,586 to as little as $29,861, but average more or less $61,054. For context, that is 58% north of the United States average.

 The most common job placement for a Public Administration graduate is Analyst, which predominantly earn close to $54,000; next are Business Development Representative and Account Executive, which by and large make more or less $42,000 and $36,000 respectively.

 The most well paid region for Public Administration graduates is The Rocky Mountains. The highest grossing state for Public Administration alumni is CO. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has the most well paid Public Administration graduates of any conference..



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Public Administration: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is below average.

 Professors unfailingly have an important influence your college experience, regardless of your major. A thought-provoking teacher can provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem fun. Alternatively, a bad experience with a professor can turn you off of an entire field or even worse... fail you!

 Public Administration professors have a median student rating of 4 / 5, which puts these professors in the top 65th percentile in the nation grounded in student satisfaction. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Public Administration professors barely surpassed those from ["Digital Arts"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-digital-arts), whereas ["Public Policy Analysis"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-public-policy-analysis)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Public Administration.

 Now for some statistics about Public Administration professors. Colleges located in remote towns tend to have the best Public Administration professors. The Atlantic Sun Conference has the highest rated Public Administration professors. The New England region has the highest rated Public Administration professors. Public colleges tend to have higher rated Public Administration professors than private universities. Finally, Massachusetts has the highest rated Public Administration professors in the US.

 Cynthia Ruszkowski, professor at [Illinois State University](/colleges/illinois-state-university)&nbspin Normal, IL is the most popular Public Administration professor in the US. Stacey Blum, instructor at [Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City](/colleges/metropolitan-community-college-kansas-city)&nbspin Kansas City, MO is the highest rated Public Administration professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 See which institutions have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is an awfully consequential investment in one's life; it's a time for personal progress and maturation. Scholars continue to discover who they are and build the essential skills to become a thriving adult. But growth also happens outside a classroom - the interactions one has with their schoolmates, the personal lesson received from a tenured instructor, the exposure to a different view. As such, a diverse student experience vastly improves what one gains from the time spent at university.

 Public Administration is a more racially diverse subject than average\*. 50% of the US' Public Administration majors are white students, followed by latino students (17%), black students (16%), and students of other races\*\*(12%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Metropolitan College of New York](/colleges/metropolitan-college-of-new-york)&nbspin New York, NY.

 Second, Public Administration significatly skews female, with 55% of students majoring in Public Administration identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [Colorado State University-Global Campus](/colleges/colorado-state-university-global-campus) in Aurora, CO.

 Another important type of diversity is wealth diversity. Unfortunately, Public Administration is one of the United States' least fiscally diverse subjects (Bottom 36%). 32% of its students come from households that make below $30,000 a year, 16% are from households earning between $30,000 and $48,000 a year, and 21% grew up in families earning over $110,000 per year. [Oakland University](/colleges/oakland-university) has the most fiscally diverse students in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall AZ is the most diverse state for Public Administration. The Southwest is the most diverse region, and the is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 5%
* Black: 16%
* Latino: 17%
* White: 50%
* Other: 12%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 45%
* Female: 55%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 32%
* 30k - 48k: 16%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 21%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 73%
* Out of State: 25%
* International: 3%


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2023 Public Administration Professors

There are about 46,631 students enrolled in Public Administration in the USA.

PROFESSORS