Best Public Administration Schools Near Watertown, NY (2026)

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

Watertown, New York has 1 accredited school offering public administration programs. Watertown has a population of about 24,574. Median household income is $49,692 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $93,870 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Watertown

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

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 65.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 109.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY 114.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
62.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,496
Avg net price $16,353/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,752
Out‑of‑state$15,822
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY 123.2 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,080
Avg net price $11,676/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY 130.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 39%
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,596
Avg net price $21,620/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,567
Out‑of‑state$30,447
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Excelsior University

Albany, NY 135.1 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
58.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,493
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University at Albany

Albany, NY 137.5 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,979
Avg net price $17,167/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,866
Out‑of‑state$31,256
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Hilbert College

Hamburg, NY 168.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,309
Avg net price $22,723/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Watertown

Watertown is part of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area (BLS area code 48060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$76,670Watertown-Fort Drum, NY$87,423
Urban and Regional Planner$86,670Watertown-Fort Drum, NY$98,826
General and Operations Manager$93,870Watertown-Fort Drum, NY$107,035
Management Analyst$81,590Watertown-Fort Drum, NY$93,033

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.

Watertown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,574Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,692Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Watertown-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Watertown, NY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Watertown. The closest is Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY (65.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Syracuse University (65.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Watertown are: General and Operations Manager ($93,870), Urban and Regional Planner ($86,670), Management Analyst ($81,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oswego instead of Watertown?

Oswego, NY is 46.6 miles from Watertown 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 Watertown an affordable place to study public administration?

Watertown’s median household income of $49,692 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Watertown

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

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.

Back to Best Public Administration Schools in New York (2026)