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Best Public Administration Schools Near Gastonia, NC (2026)
Gastonia, North Carolina has 12 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $7,239 to $37,736 per year for indexed programs. Gastonia has a population of about 81,632. Median household income is $60,554 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $112,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Gastonia
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Gastonia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gastonia 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 Gastonia
Gastonia is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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 | $79,990 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $82,210 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $83,170 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $85,478 |
| General and Operations Manager | $112,730 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $115,858 |
| Management Analyst | $102,920 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $105,776 |
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.
Gastonia at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 81,632 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $60,554 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 27.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Gastonia-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Lincolnton, NC – 15.8 mi away (23,264 pop)
- Charlotte, NC – 20.2 mi away (1,438,351 pop)
- Shelby, NC – 20.3 mi away (27,288 pop)
- Huntersville, NC – 20.6 mi away (54,839 pop)
- Cornelius, NC – 23.0 mi away (28,515 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Gastonia, NC?
Our directory has 12 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Gastonia. The closest is University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, NC (25.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Strayer University-North Carolina (91.8 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Gastonia?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Gastonia are: General and Operations Manager ($112,730), Management Analyst ($102,920), Urban and Regional Planner ($83,170). 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 Lincolnton instead of Gastonia?
Lincolnton, NC is 15.8 miles from Gastonia 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 Gastonia an affordable place to study public administration?
Gastonia’s median household income of $60,554 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gastonia 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
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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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