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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Public Administration Schools in Massachusetts

5 Colleges in the United States
553 Public Administration Degrees Awarded
$77,351 Avg Early-Career Salary

Public Administration programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public administration students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Public Administration in Massachusetts

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public administration degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Public Administration

1
Harvard University crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Leading the list is Harvard University, our #1 school for public administration. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Cambridge. Roughly 98% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 263 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Harvard University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Harvard University earn around $133,307 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. Get the full public administration details for Harvard University

2

Northeastern University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public administration, ranking #2. Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. The six-year graduation rate is 90%. About 84 public administration degrees were awarded at Northeastern University in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Northeastern University earn around $66,436 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,611 to complete this degree. See the full public administration program report for Northeastern University

3

Suffolk University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public administration, ranking #3. Suffolk University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. About 61% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 48 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Suffolk University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Suffolk University earn around $78,504 in the first couple years of their career. Suffolk University graduates carry a median of $26,670 in student loans. Get the full public administration details for Suffolk University

4

Students looking for a strong public administration program will find one at University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public university. University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth graduates 52% of students within six years. University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth awarded about 11 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earn a median of $54,669 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $27,106. Read more about the public administration program at University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth

5

Students looking for a strong public administration program will find one at Anna Maria College, which ranked #5. Set in the rural area of Paxton, Anna Maria College is a small private not-for-profit institution. About 46% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 72 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Anna Maria College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Anna Maria College generally make around $110,456. Anna Maria College graduates carry a median of $26,734 in student loans. Read more about the public administration program at Anna Maria College

6

Westfield State University earned the #6 position for public administration this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Westfield. Westfield State University graduates 54% of students within six years. There were roughly 19 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Westfield State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Westfield State University earn around $46,645 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,910. Read more about the public administration program at Westfield State University

7

University Of Massachusetts Boston ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. University Of Massachusetts Boston is a large public school located in the city of Boston. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 11 public administration degrees were awarded at University Of Massachusetts Boston in the most recent year. Students who receive their public administration degree from University Of Massachusetts Boston earn around $67,584 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,236 to complete this degree. See the full public administration program report for University Of Massachusetts Boston

8
Clark University crest
Clark University
Worcester, MA

Clark University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Worcester. About 77% of students finish within six years. About 45 public administration degrees were awarded at Clark University in the most recent year. Graduates of the public administration program make about $61,207 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,153. Read more about the public administration program at Clark University

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 15 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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