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Best Public Administration Schools Near Chapel Hill, NC (2026)
Chapel Hill, North Carolina has 12 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $3,648 to $46,958 per year for indexed programs. Chapel Hill has a population of about 59,889. Median household income is $85,825 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 77.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is Management Analyst at a median $126,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Chapel Hill
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Chapel Hill, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chapel Hill 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 North Carolina schools on the North Carolina public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area (BLS area code 20500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $81,940 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $83,955 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $85,290 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $87,387 |
| General and Operations Manager | $113,930 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $116,732 |
| Management Analyst | $126,110 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $129,211 |
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.
Chapel Hill at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,889 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $85,825 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 77.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Chapel Hill-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Carrboro, NC – 2.7 mi away (21,265 pop)
- Durham, NC – 8.4 mi away (400,379 pop)
- Morrisville, NC – 13.0 mi away (24,732 pop)
- Cary, NC – 16.0 mi away (162,320 pop)
- Apex, NC – 17.0 mi away (47,349 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Chapel Hill, NC?
Our directory has 12 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Chapel Hill. The closest is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Pembroke (86.1 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Chapel Hill?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Chapel Hill are: Management Analyst ($126,110), General and Operations Manager ($113,930), Urban and Regional Planner ($85,290). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Carrboro instead of Chapel Hill?
Carrboro, NC is 2.7 miles from Chapel Hill 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 Chapel Hill an affordable place to study public administration?
Chapel Hill’s median household income of $85,825 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chapel Hill while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 North Carolina
- Public Administration programs by state
Other Programs Available in Chapel Hill
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Chapel Hill:
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Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
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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