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Best Public Administration Schools Near Ames, IA (2026)
Ames, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $52,130 per year for indexed programs. Ames has a population of about 66,112. Median household income is $60,102 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Ames, IA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $97,700 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Ames
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Ames, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ames city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Ames
Ames is part of the Ames, IA metro area (BLS area code 11180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $63,770 | Ames, IA | $71,813 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $79,100 | IA statewide | $89,077 |
| General and Operations Manager | $97,700 | Ames, IA | $110,023 |
| Management Analyst | $88,510 | Ames, IA | $99,673 |
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.
Ames at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,112 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $60,102 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 63.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 88.8 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Ames-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Ankeny, IA – 20.6 mi away (58,627 pop)
- Johnston, IA – 24.0 mi away (21,114 pop)
- Urbandale, IA – 27.9 mi away (43,018 pop)
- Des Moines, IA – 31.4 mi away (476,689 pop)
- West Des Moines, IA – 33.6 mi away (64,560 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Ames, IA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Ames. The closest is Iowa State University in Ames, IA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Buena Vista University (91.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Ames?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Ames are: General and Operations Manager ($97,700), Management Analyst ($88,510), Urban and Regional Planner ($79,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Ankeny instead of Ames?
Ankeny, IA is 20.6 miles from Ames 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.
Is Ames an affordable place to study public administration?
Ames’s median household income of $60,102 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ames while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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
- Is a Public Administration degree worth it?
- Main Public Administration degree guide
- Online Public Administration programs in Iowa
- Public Administration programs by state
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Data verified: August 11, 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.