Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration Degree Programs for 2025

Badge for BEST ONLINE BACHELOR'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Updated: Sep 4, 2024

Find top-ranked online bachelor’s in public administration degree programs in the US for students looking to work in public relations, government, nonprofit leadership, and health services management.

Top 10 Online Bachelor's Degrees in Public Administration in 2025

Florida International University
Liberty University
Northern Arizona University
+2
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Troy University
–2
Southern New Hampshire University
Barry University
+1
University of the Incarnate Word
+4
Hawaii Pacific University
+1
National University
–3

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or last ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, Florida International University, Liberty University, and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth maintained their respective positions. Troy University and Northern Arizona University switched ranking positions.

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration Degree Programs 2025

Career Outlook for Students with Public Administration Degree

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Public Administration

Degree Level: Bachelor's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $9,874
Avg. Expenses*: $17,362
Avg. Starting Salary*: $44,305
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $52,390
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 11 years
Job Growth: 5.94%
Number of Jobs: 5,684,700
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Chief Executives	5.48%	$206,680
Managers, All Other	5.75%	$133,560
Construction Managers	9.14%	$104,900
General and Operations Managers	5.80%	$101,280
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	8.97%	$99,200
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	-3.03%	$88,670
Urban and Regional Planners	4.20%	$81,800
Social and Community Service Managers	8.22%	$77,030
Traffic Technicians	5.13%	$52,240
Legislators	3.86%	$47,290

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Chief Executives	$206,680
Managers, All Other	$133,560
Construction Managers	$104,900
General and Operations Managers	$101,280
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$99,200
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$88,670
Urban and Regional Planners	$81,800
Social and Community Service Managers	$77,030
Traffic Technicians	$52,240
Legislators	$47,290

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Administration Degrees

Those who have an interest in government, public policy, and community development can earn a bachelor’s degree in public administration online or on campus.

Students will take courses on public budgeting, ethics, financial management, courts and the criminal procedure, resource distribution, and often, a public administration capstone.

Most programs require a minimum of 120 credits, which takes a minimum of four years to finish.

After completion, graduates will be qualified to work in public relations, government, nonprofit leadership, and health services management as administrative specialists, public utility specialists, and general operations managers.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration Degree Programs for 2025

Top 10 Online Bachelor's Degrees in Public Administration in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Featured Programs

Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration Degree Programs 2025

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Florida International University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Liberty University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Northern Arizona University

Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Troy University

Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Southern New Hampshire University

Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Barry University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at University of the Incarnate Word

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Hawaii Pacific University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at National University

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Lipscomb University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Keiser University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at California Baptist University

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Point Park University

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at West Texas A&M University

Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Christian Brothers University

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Columbia College

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Peru State College

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu

Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Public Administration degree at Dordt University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Students with Public Administration Degree

Public Administration

Degree Level: Bachelor's

Career Salaries

Top Industries

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Administration Degrees

Why get a bachelor’s in public administration?

What courses are required when getting a bachelor’s in public administration?

How long does it take to get a bachelor’s in public administration?

What can you do with a bachelor’s in public administration?

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier than campus-based college?+