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Best Public Administration Schools Near Columbus, OH (2026)
Columbus, Ohio has 9 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $9,577 to $49,140 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 906,480. Median household income is $65,327 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, OH metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $102,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Columbus
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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 Ohio schools on the Ohio public administration page.
Public Administration Wages Near Columbus
Columbus is part of the Columbus, OH metro area (BLS area code 18140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $79,830 | Columbus, OH | $83,592 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $78,750 | Columbus, OH | $82,461 |
| General and Operations Manager | $102,590 | Columbus, OH | $107,424 |
| Management Analyst | $90,010 | Columbus, OH | $94,251 |
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.
Columbus at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 906,480 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $65,327 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 38.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Columbus-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs
- Upper Arlington, OH – 5.3 mi away (34,997 pop)
- Gahanna, OH – 7.0 mi away (34,956 pop)
- Grove City, OH – 9.4 mi away (39,721 pop)
- Hilliard, OH – 9.6 mi away (34,905 pop)
- Westerville, OH – 10.1 mi away (38,985 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Columbus, OH?
Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Columbus. The closest is Ohio State University-Main Campus in Columbus, OH (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miami University-Oxford (98.5 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Columbus?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Columbus are: General and Operations Manager ($102,590), Management Analyst ($90,010), Social and Community Service Manager ($79,830). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Upper Arlington instead of Columbus?
Upper Arlington, OH is 5.3 miles from Columbus 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 Columbus an affordable place to study public administration?
Columbus’s median household income of $65,327 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Ohio
- 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.