Best Public Administration Schools Near Traverse City, MI

Traverse City, Michigan has 1 accredited school offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $14,760 to $30,681 per year for indexed programs. Traverse City has a population of about 15,491. Median household income is $71,731 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Traverse City, MI metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is Management Analyst at a median $94,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Administration Schools to Traverse City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Traverse City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Traverse City 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 Traverse City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI 90.2 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,874
Avg net price $17,597/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,760
Out‑of‑state$14,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, MI 118.2 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,955
Avg net price $10,775/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI 124.6 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,118
Avg net price $16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 137

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI 152.1 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,107
Avg net price $14,085/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Michigan-Flint

Flint, MI 153.2 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,230
Avg net price $7,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 170.8 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, MI 186.7 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,612
Avg net price $9,120/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Jackson College

Jackson, MI 188.8 miles from Traverse City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,898
Avg net price $7,761/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Public Administration Wages Near Traverse City

Traverse City is part of the Traverse City, MI metro area (BLS area code 45900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$78,420Traverse City, MI$83,961
Urban and Regional Planner$79,270Traverse City, MI$84,872
General and Operations Manager$84,300Traverse City, MI$90,257
Management Analyst$94,690Traverse City, MI$101,381

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.


Traverse City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population15,491Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,731Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Traverse City-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Traverse City, MI?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Traverse City. The closest is Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, MI (90.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Michigan University (90.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Traverse City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Traverse City are: Management Analyst ($94,690), General and Operations Manager ($84,300), Urban and Regional Planner ($79,270). 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 Mount Pleasant instead of Traverse City?

Mount Pleasant, MI is 89.9 miles from Traverse City 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 Traverse City an affordable place to study public administration?

Traverse City’s median household income of $71,731 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Traverse City 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

Other Programs Available in Traverse City

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

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.