Best Public Administration Schools Near Gadsden, AL (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Gadsden, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $6,088 to $28,145 per year for indexed programs. Gadsden has a population of about 33,086. In Alabama, the top-earning public administration-related role is Management Analyst at a median $108,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Gadsden

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Gadsden, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gadsden city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Gadsden. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 19.3 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Strayer University-Alabama

Birmingham, AL 56.8 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
21.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Tuition
In‑state$13,920
Out‑of‑state$13,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 56.9 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,501
Avg net price $18,749/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 58.3 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Huntsville, AL 61.0 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,767
Avg net price $18,796/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,132
Out‑of‑state$26,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 102.0 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
76.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,337
Avg net price $24,323/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 103.8 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,221
Avg net price $22,420/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 115

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Auburn University at Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 113.8 miles from Gadsden
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,391
Avg net price $13,224/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,700
Out‑of‑state$20,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama public administration page.

Public Administration Wages Near Gadsden

Gadsden is part of the Gadsden, AL metro area (BLS area code 23460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$73,920Gadsden, AL$86,254
Urban and Regional Planner$70,710AL statewide$82,509
General and Operations Manager$91,470Gadsden, AL$106,733
Management Analyst$108,040AL statewide$126,068

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Gadsden at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gadsden-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Gadsden, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Gadsden. The closest is Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL (19.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of West Georgia (60.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Gadsden?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Gadsden are: Management Analyst ($108,040), General and Operations Manager ($91,470), Social and Community Service Manager ($73,920). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Albertville instead of Gadsden?

Albertville, AL is 20.8 miles from Gadsden and has its own set of local public administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Public Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Gadsden

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Gadsden:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Public Administration Schools in Alabama (2026)