ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Public Administration Schools in North Carolina

9 Colleges in the United States
456 Public Administration Degrees Awarded
$53,331 Avg Early-Career Salary

Public Administration is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public administration students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 15
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 44.04), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Public Administration (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Public Administration (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Public Administration (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Public Administration (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "MBA - Public Administration (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "MBA - Public Administration (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BS in Business Administration - Public Administration" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "BS in Business Administration - Public Administration" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "MBA in Public Administration" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "MBA in Public Administration" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BA in Human Services" with relevance 0.7
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "BA in Human Services" REJECTED (relevance 0.7)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BSW - Social Work (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "BSW - Social Work (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "DSW - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "DSW - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "MSW - Social Work (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "MSW - Social Work (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "PhD - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "PhD - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Doctorate Programs (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Doctorate Programs (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Urban Planning (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Urban Planning (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Urban Planning (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Urban Planning (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 5
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 3 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 3
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 3 offers with relevance >= 1.0

Best Schools for Public Administration in North Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall public administration education in North Carolina.

Top Schools in Public Administration

1

Leading the list is University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, our #1 school for public administration. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Roughly 91% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 52 public administration students who graduated with this degree at University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $66,534 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $15,117 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in public administration from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill

2

North Carolina State University At Raleigh is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public administration, ranking #2. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. North Carolina State University At Raleigh awarded about 45 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of $51,393 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $22,113. More information about a degree in public administration from North Carolina State University At Raleigh

3

University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public administration, ranking #3. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. Roughly 69% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 27 public administration degrees were awarded at University Of North Carolina At Charlotte in the most recent year. Public Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $59,111 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $24,673. See the full public administration program report for University Of North Carolina At Charlotte

4

A rank of #4 makes Western Carolina University one of the top schools for public administration. Set in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public institution. Western Carolina University graduates 60% of students within six years. Western Carolina University awarded about 123 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from Western Carolina University generally make around $54,286. Typical student debt for the program is $18,375. More information about a degree in public administration from Western Carolina University

5

Students looking for a strong public administration program will find one at Appalachian State University, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a very large public institution. About 74% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 27 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the public administration program make about $46,655 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,992 to complete this degree. Get the full public administration details for Appalachian State University

6
Gardner Webb University crest
Gardner Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC

Gardner Webb University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. Set in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 54% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 28 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Gardner Webb University in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of Gardner Webb University earn a median of $63,220 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,033 to complete this degree. See the full public administration program report for Gardner Webb University

7

East Carolina University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. Roughly 63% of students complete a degree within six years here. East Carolina University awarded about 15 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $51,931 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $24,747. Get the full public administration details for East Carolina University

8

University Of North Carolina At Wilmington landed the #8 spot for public administration this year. Located in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 71%. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington awarded about 30 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn around $50,764 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,013. Get the full public administration details for University Of North Carolina At Wilmington

9

University Of North Carolina At Greensboro came in at #9 for public administration this year. Located in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public university. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro graduates 56% of students within six years. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro awarded about 28 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn around $48,682 in the first couple years of their career. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro graduates carry a median of $24,977 in student loans. See the full public administration program report for University Of North Carolina At Greensboro

10

North Carolina Central University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best public administration schools. Set in the city of Durham, North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public institution. North Carolina Central University graduates 42% of students within six years. North Carolina Central University awarded about 55 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Public Administration graduates of North Carolina Central University earn a median of $51,559 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $31,173 to complete this degree. See the full public administration program report for North Carolina Central University

11

University Of North Carolina At Pembroke came in at #11 for public administration this year. Set in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public institution. University Of North Carolina At Pembroke graduates 44% of students within six years. University Of North Carolina At Pembroke awarded about 11 public administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public administration degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Pembroke generally make around $46,323. Typical student debt for the program is $27,089. See the full public administration program report for University Of North Carolina At Pembroke

12

Strayer University North Carolina earned the #12 position for public administration this year. Strayer University North Carolina is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Greensboro. The six-year graduation rate is 33%. There were roughly 15 public administration students who graduated with this degree at Strayer University North Carolina in the most recent data year. Students who receive their public administration degree from Strayer University North Carolina earn around $49,512 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $47,631 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in public administration from Strayer University North Carolina

ADBLOCK #173
View All Public Administration Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 17 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options