Ruston, Louisiana has 3 accredited schools offering public administration programs. Ruston has a population of about 22,224. Median household income is $32,765 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Louisiana, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $101,790 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Ruston
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Ruston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ruston 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Ruston.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,109
Avg net price
$19,809/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,769
Avg net price
$13,466/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,371
Avg net price
$20,077/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 39
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,251
Avg net price
$19,151/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 122
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,872
Avg net price
$12,384/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,042
Avg net price
$14,810/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 50%
- Programs offered: 18
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,268
Avg net price
$39,949/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 124
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Louisiana schools on the Louisiana public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Ruston
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Louisiana, statewide) |
|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $82,090 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $74,500 |
| General and Operations Manager | $101,790 |
| Management Analyst | $95,540 |
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.
Ruston at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 22,224 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $32,765 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 42.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Ruston-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Monroe, LA – 32.6 mi away (117,673 pop)
- Bossier City, LA – 60.0 mi away (68,485 pop)
- Shreveport, LA – 67.7 mi away (291,749 pop)
- Alexandria, LA – 86.3 mi away (82,995 pop)
- Marshall, TX – 99.9 mi away (22,014 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Ruston, LA?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Ruston. The closest is Grambling State University in Grambling, LA (4.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (62.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles in Louisiana?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles in Louisiana are: General and Operations Manager ($101,790), Management Analyst ($95,540), Social and Community Service Manager ($82,090). Wages for Ruston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Monroe instead of Ruston?
Monroe, LA is 32.6 miles from Ruston 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 Ruston an affordable place to study public administration?
Ruston’s median household income of $32,765 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ruston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Louisiana 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
Other Programs Available in Ruston
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ruston:
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- Behavioral Health Science programs in Ruston, LA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Ruston, LA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Ruston, LA
- Journalism programs in Ruston, LA
- Public Relations programs in Ruston, LA
- Communication Disorders programs in Ruston, LA
- Speech Pathology programs in Ruston, LA
- Technical Communication programs in Ruston, LA
- Professional Writing programs in Ruston, LA
- Strategic Communications programs in Ruston, LA
- Business Development programs in Ruston, LA
- Construction Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Economics programs in Ruston, LA
- Financial Technology programs in Ruston, LA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Ruston, LA
- Health Information Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Hospitality Management programs in Ruston, LA
- International Business programs in Ruston, LA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Ruston, LA
- Management Information Systems programs in Ruston, LA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Operations Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Real Estate programs in Ruston, LA
- Recreation Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Retail Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Risk Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Statistics programs in Ruston, LA
- Taxation programs in Ruston, LA
- Corrections programs in Ruston, LA
- Crime Analysis programs in Ruston, LA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Ruston, LA
- Criminology programs in Ruston, LA
- Cybercrime programs in Ruston, LA
- Emergency Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Fire Science programs in Ruston, LA
- Forensic Science programs in Ruston, LA
- Legal Services programs in Ruston, LA
- Legal Studies programs in Ruston, LA
- Paralegal programs in Ruston, LA
- Security Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Cloud Computing programs in Ruston, LA
- Computer Engineering programs in Ruston, LA
- Innovation programs in Ruston, LA
- Mobile App Development programs in Ruston, LA
- Software Development programs in Ruston, LA
- User Experience programs in Ruston, LA
- Web Development programs in Ruston, LA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Ruston, LA
- Machine Learning programs in Ruston, LA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Data Analytics programs in Ruston, LA
- Public Health programs in Ruston, LA
- Human Resources programs in Ruston, LA
- Project Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Special Education programs in Ruston, LA
- Homeland Security programs in Ruston, LA
- Marketing programs in Ruston, LA
- Finance programs in Ruston, LA
- Kinesiology programs in Ruston, LA
- Sports Management programs in Ruston, LA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Ruston, LA
- Elementary Education programs in Ruston, LA
- Biology programs in Ruston, LA
- Communications programs in Ruston, LA
- Graphic Design programs in Ruston, LA
- Human Services programs in Ruston, LA
- MBA programs in Ruston, LA
- Criminal Justice programs in Ruston, LA
- Nursing programs in Ruston, LA
- Business Administration programs in Ruston, LA
- Computer Science programs in Ruston, LA
- Psychology programs in Ruston, LA
- Education programs in Ruston, LA
- Engineering programs in Ruston, LA
- Technology programs in Ruston, LA
- Liberal Arts programs in Ruston, LA
- Healthcare programs in Ruston, LA
- Cybersecurity programs in Ruston, LA
- Accounting programs in Ruston, LA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Ruston, LA
- Social Work programs in Ruston, LA
- Counseling programs in Ruston, LA
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.
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