Best Public Administration Schools Near Ferguson, MO (2026)

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

Ferguson, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs. Ferguson has a population of about 18,350. Median household income is $46,106 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is Management Analyst at a median $101,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Ferguson

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Ferguson, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ferguson 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 Ferguson. 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

University of Missouri-St Louis

Saint Louis, MO 2.8 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,037
Avg net price $15,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO 11.4 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,876
Avg net price $27,047/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, MO 11.4 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,278
Avg net price $19,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, MO 107.7 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,030
Avg net price $15,882/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Columbia College

Columbia, MO 110.2 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,378
Avg net price $22,715/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,826
Out‑of‑state$25,826
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 110.3 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,403
Avg net price $20,268/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Drury University

Springfield, MO 194.2 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,694
Avg net price $20,831/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 194.7 miles from Ferguson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,827
Avg net price $17,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 200

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Ferguson

Ferguson is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$73,980St. Louis, MO-IL$77,792
Urban and Regional Planner$80,270St. Louis, MO-IL$84,406
General and Operations Manager$93,140St. Louis, MO-IL$97,939
Management Analyst$101,100St. Louis, MO-IL$106,309

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.

Ferguson at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population18,350Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$46,106Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Ferguson-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Ferguson, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Ferguson. The closest is University of Missouri-St Louis in Saint Louis, MO (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Springfield (76.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Ferguson are: Management Analyst ($101,100), General and Operations Manager ($93,140), Urban and Regional Planner ($80,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Florissant instead of Ferguson?

Florissant, MO is 3.9 miles from Ferguson 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 Ferguson an affordable place to study public administration?

Ferguson’s median household income of $46,106 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ferguson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Ferguson

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

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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