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Best Public Administration Schools Near Portage, MI (2026)
Portage, Michigan has 8 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $60,946 per year for indexed programs. Portage has a population of about 49,015. Median household income is $79,529 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $100,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Portage
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Portage, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Portage 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 Michigan schools on the Michigan public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Portage
Portage is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $90,220 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $95,169 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $82,100 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $86,603 |
| General and Operations Manager | $100,160 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $105,654 |
| Management Analyst | $91,170 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $96,171 |
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.
Portage at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,015 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $79,529 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 94.8 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Portage-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Kalamazoo, MI – 5.2 mi away (214,583 pop)
- Battle Creek, MI – 19.7 mi away (77,174 pop)
- Elkhart, IN – 40.0 mi away (147,181 pop)
- Benton Harbor, MI – 44.3 mi away (60,298 pop)
- Goshen, IN – 45.0 mi away (34,458 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Portage, MI?
Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Portage. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (5.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Concordia University Ann Arbor (97.7 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Portage?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Portage are: General and Operations Manager ($100,160), Management Analyst ($91,170), Social and Community Service Manager ($90,220). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Kalamazoo instead of Portage?
Kalamazoo, MI is 5.2 miles from Portage 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 Portage an affordable place to study public administration?
Portage’s median household income of $79,529 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portage while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Michigan
- Public Administration programs by state
Other Programs Available in Portage
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Portage:
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- Criminal Justice programs in Portage, MI
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- Cybersecurity programs in Portage, MI
- Accounting programs in Portage, MI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Portage, MI
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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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.
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