Find Grad Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Virginia

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Virginia

8 Colleges
$52,728 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration Master's Degree School for You

Public Administration is the #20 most popular major in Virginia with 489 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Public Administration Master's Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 8 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best for public admin majors pursuing a master's degree.

Top Virginia Schools for a Master's in Public Administration

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Our analysis found Virginia Tech to be the best school for public administration students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Virginia. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Public Administration at Virginia Tech Report

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

Out of the 8 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public school with a very large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at George Mason University

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

The excellent master’s degree programs at James Madison University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration schools in Virginia. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

Full Public Administration at James Madison University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the city of Richmond, VCU is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University

#5

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Old Dominion University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read More…

#6

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA

Regent University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Public Administration Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.

Read full report on Public Administration at Regent University

#7

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree public administration programs. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Full Public Administration at Liberty University Report

With a ranking of #8, Strayer University - Virginia did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students working on their master’s degree. Strayer University - Virginia is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Arlington.

Read full report on Public Administration at Strayer University - Virginia

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Florida 638
Georgia 401
North Carolina 379
Tennessee 97
Kentucky 122
Louisiana 113
Alabama 378
South Carolina 88
Mississippi 84
Arkansas 172
West Virginia 132

One of 5 majors within the area of study, public administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Public Admin

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 33,631
Public Policy 3,737
Human Services 1,277
Community Organization & Advocacy 741
Other Public Administration 295

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Graduate Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited graduate schools across the U.S.