596 Top Public Administration Schools in the United States
Analyzing institutional performance, ROI trajectories, and career-first academic intelligence in the United States.
Verified Units
596 Schools
Intelligence Stream
best Report
Search Strategy
🎯 best Focused
Subject Area
📚 public administration
Market Reach
🏙️ the United States
Market Intel
2026 Reports
Institutional Landscape: Public Administration in the United States
Navigating the academic ecosystem of public administration in the United States requires more than just enrollment data. It demands a clear understanding of institutional durability and regional career alignment. Whether you are targeting Tier-1 research institutions , our audit highlights the performers that consistently deliver on ROI benchmarks.
Value Drivers
Programs in this region are noted for their cost-efficient academic tracks and direct pipelines to major employment hubs in the United States.
Graduation Signal
The latest data indicates a 28% increase in programmatic completion rates versus the 5-year average for this specific track.
Carnegie Mellon University
Annual Tuition
$63,829
Early Salary
$114,862
Acceptance Matrix
11.4%
University of Pennsylvania
Annual Tuition
$66,104
Early Salary
$111,371
Acceptance Matrix
5.9%
Cornell University
Annual Tuition
$66,014
Early Salary
$104,043
Acceptance Matrix
8.2%
Georgetown University
Annual Tuition
$65,081
Early Salary
$103,494
Acceptance Matrix
13.1%
Columbia University in the City of New York
Annual Tuition
$69,045
Early Salary
$102,491
Acceptance Matrix
4.2%
Harvard University
Annual Tuition
$59,076
Early Salary
$101,817
Acceptance Matrix
3.5%
Villanova University
Annual Tuition
$64,701
Early Salary
$100,423
Acceptance Matrix
25.1%
University of Notre Dame
Annual Tuition
$62,693
Early Salary
$99,980
Acceptance Matrix
12.4%
Northeastern University
Annual Tuition
$63,141
Early Salary
$92,538
Acceptance Matrix
5.7%
Northeastern University Professional Programs
Annual Tuition
TBD
Early Salary
$92,538
Acceptance Matrix
Open Admissions
University of Southern California
Annual Tuition
$68,237
Early Salary
$92,498
Acceptance Matrix
10%
University of Chicago
Annual Tuition
$66,939
Early Salary
$91,885
Acceptance Matrix
4.8%
George Washington University
Annual Tuition
$64,990
Early Salary
$90,873
Acceptance Matrix
43.5%
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Annual Tuition
$11,075
Early Salary
$90,768
Acceptance Matrix
29.8%
University of San Francisco
Annual Tuition
$58,222
Early Salary
$89,812
Acceptance Matrix
50.8%
Northwestern University
Annual Tuition
$65,997
Early Salary
$89,363
Acceptance Matrix
7.2%
Fairfield University
Annual Tuition
$56,360
Early Salary
$88,794
Acceptance Matrix
45%
Johns Hopkins University
Annual Tuition
$63,340
Early Salary
$87,555
Acceptance Matrix
7.6%
Golden Gate University
Annual Tuition
$31,243
Early Salary
$87,434
Acceptance Matrix
Open Admissions
Providence College
Annual Tuition
$60,848
Early Salary
$87,054
Acceptance Matrix
48.7%
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Annual Tuition
$51,340
Early Salary
$86,881
Acceptance Matrix
86.4%
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Annual Tuition
$20,986
Early Salary
$86,863
Acceptance Matrix
16.9%
University of San Diego
Annual Tuition
$56,444
Early Salary
$86,522
Acceptance Matrix
46.8%
Washington University in St Louis
Annual Tuition
$62,982
Early Salary
$86,182
Acceptance Matrix
12%
Program Intelligence Q&A
Q
Are these public administration programs fully accredited?
Yes. Every institution in our audit is regionally accredited. For public administration, we prioritize schools with programmatic accreditation (like ABET, AACSB, or CCNE) which is a critical signal for professional licensure and top-tier job placement.
A
What is the early-career ROI for this track?
Graduates in the United States typically see strong median starting salaries. Our data suggests that the institutional "brand signal" from the top institutions in this region adds a significant premium to initial offers compared to national averages.
Intelligence Hub
Strategic Pillars
Data Integrity
Institutional records for the United States are extracted from 2026 NCES datasets.