Earning an online public administration degree can prepare you to launch a career serving the public interest. Public administration professionals usually work for government agencies or nonprofit organizations to create, oversee and analyze public policies.
The specific job you end up with can vary significantly depending on your previous professional experience, prior education and focus area. Examples of public administration jobs include urban planner, program director, policy manager and emergency management director.
Explore our picks for the 10 best online public administration degrees in the U.S. below. We explain what to expect from each degree, including pros and cons.
Best Online Public Administration Degree Options
How to Find the Right Online Public Administration Degree for You
Know Your Time Commitment
Think about how much time you can and want to spend on your online public administration degree. How many hours can you devote to studying each week? For example, if you plan to work while in school, you might prioritize asynchronous programs and programs offering evening and weekend courses.
On the other hand, if you want to graduate and enter the workforce as soon as possible, look for accelerated public administration programs with shortened degree timelines.
Look at Accreditation
Ensure any college or university you attend holds institutional accreditation. Aside from validating the quality of your education, attending an institutionally accredited university is crucial for federal financial aid eligibility. Accreditation can also impact your ability to transfer credit or apply to graduate school.
Institutional accreditors must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). See if your prospective school is institutionally accredited by looking it up in CHEA’s accreditation directory.
Consider Your Future Goals
What do you want to do with your online public administration degree? This is the most important question to ask yourself before choosing a program.
If you want to enter the workforce right after earning your bachelor’s, look for programs offering concentrations or internship opportunities that can help you meet your career goals more easily. On the other hand, if you plan to pursue graduate studies, consider more research-heavy undergraduate degrees at universities offering relevant master’s programs.
Cost of an Online Public Administration Degree
Cost is another crucial consideration when choosing the right place to pursue your online public administration degree. Think about your budget, how you plan to finance your degree and your projected salary after graduation.
The price of a degree varies significantly depending on school and program. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that undergraduates at four-year public universities paid $9,375 on average for tuition and required fees in the 2020-21 academic year. Of the 10 schools ranked on this page, tuition for online public administration degrees ranges from $117 per credit at Indian River State College to $550 per credit at Park University.
Methodology
We scored 12 accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online public administration degree programs in the U.S. using 16 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process. We pulled the data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites. We weighted each category as follows:
Student Outcomes: 38%
Affordability: 28%
Student Experience: 14%
Credibility: 10%
Application Process: 10%
Specific characteristics we considered within each category include accreditation, nonprofit status, average net price per year, median earnings among graduates, overall graduation rate, socioeconomic diversity, online offerings and Common App participation.
We chose the 10 best schools to display based on those receiving a curved final score of 71.73% or higher.
The highest-ranking schools are fully accredited, nonprofit institutions with relatively low percentages of students in federal student loan deferment and higher student retention rates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online Public Administration Degrees
Is a public administration degree worth it?
A public administration degree can help you build the skills you need for many rewarding career paths serving the public good. As such, this degree is often a worthwhile investment, but this depends on your career goals, budget and career goals. Only you can decide if an online public administration degree is the right choice for you.
What degree is best for public administration?
Several degrees can prepare you for a career in public administration, but a bachelor’s in public administration provides a strong, focused foundation in the field. Going on to earn a master of public administration (MPA) may help you stand out from other job applicants and qualify for a higher salary. To learn more about how you can benefit from this master’s degree, check out our MPA jobs guide.
Why pursue a degree in public administration?
You can pursue a public administration degree to help further your career goals or due to a personal interest in the subject. This multidisciplinary degree can prepare you for various career paths, depending on your previous experience and training, or for graduate studies.