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Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for public administration Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for public administration Majors in US for 2021:
  1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
  2. Northwestern University
  3. SUNY at Binghamton
  4. James Madison University
  5. University of Virginia
  6. Johns Hopkins University
  7. San Diego State University
  8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
  9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  10. University of Miami
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

25 best colleges for public administration majors in the US

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

Location
New York, NY
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,500

2. Northwestern University

Location
Evanston, IL
Admission rate: 8%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $71,900

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Location
Vestal, NY
Admission rate: 40%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,700

4. James Madison University

Location
Harrisonburg, VA
Admission rate: 71%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $46,100

5. University of Virginia

Location
Charlottesville, VA
Admission rate: 26%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $56,800

6. Johns Hopkins University

Location
Baltimore, MD
Admission rate: 11%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $68,000

7. San Diego State University

Location
San Diego, CA
Admission rate: 35%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $41,600

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Location
Madison, WI
Admission rate: 52%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,600

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $55,900

10. University of Miami

Location
Coral Gables, FL
Admission rate: 32%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $54,500

11. University of Central Florida

Location
Orlando, FL
Admission rate: 43%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $39,900

12. Clemson University

Location
Clemson, SC
Admission rate: 47%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $48,100

13. California State University - Fullerton

Location
Fullerton, CA
Admission rate: 43%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $38,500

14. Indiana University Bloomington

Location
Bloomington, IN
Admission rate: 77%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $44,200

15. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Admission rate: 23%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $49,900

16. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Admission rate: 30%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $54,700

17. Florida International University

Location
Miami, FL
Admission rate: 59%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $41,500

18. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Location
La Crosse, WI
Admission rate: 71%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $40,100

19. Ohio State University

Location
Columbus, OH
Admission rate: 52%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $41,500

20. University of Notre Dame

Location
Notre Dame, IN
Admission rate: 18%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $69,700

21. University of Texas at Austin

Location
Austin, TX
Admission rate: 39%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $52,200

22. California State University - Chico

Location
Chico, CA
Admission rate: 65%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $42,900

23. North Carolina State University

Location
Raleigh, NC
Admission rate: 47%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $45,000

24. Brigham Young University

Location
Provo, UT
Admission rate: 64%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $46,600

25. San Jose State University

Location
San Jose, CA
Admission rate: 55%
Mean earning of students 6 years after entry: $47,200

How we determined the best public administration colleges

We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what public administration departments offer the best career opportunities:
  • Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
  • Mean Earnings After 10 Years
  • Mean Earnings After 6 Years
  • Admission Rate (More selective the better)
  • Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
  • Median amount of debt
  • Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years