Best Public Administration Schools Near Kannapolis, NC (2026)

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

Kannapolis, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $34,760 to $47,091 per year for indexed programs. Kannapolis has a population of about 56,470. Median household income is $70,691 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.1% 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 Kannapolis

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

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

Sort:
#1

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 12.9 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,289
Avg net price $15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Strayer University-North Carolina

Greensboro, NC 58.1 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
17.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 13%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 60.1 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,039
Avg net price $17,674/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 61.9 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 77.5 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Montreat College

Montreat, NC 94.0 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,151
Avg net price $27,061/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 94.1 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 97.9 miles from Kannapolis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,407
Avg net price $10,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Kannapolis

Kannapolis 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$79,990Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$82,210
Urban and Regional Planner$83,170Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$85,478
General and Operations Manager$112,730Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$115,858
Management Analyst$102,920Charlotte-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.

Kannapolis at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population56,470Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,691Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kannapolis-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Kannapolis, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Kannapolis. The closest is University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, NC (12.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (77.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Kannapolis 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 Concord instead of Kannapolis?

Concord, NC is 5.7 miles from Kannapolis 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 Kannapolis an affordable place to study public administration?

Kannapolis’s median household income of $70,691 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kannapolis 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

Other Programs Available in Kannapolis

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

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 North Carolina (2026)