Best Public Administration Schools Near Wooster, OH (2026)

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

Wooster, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $32,665 to $49,858 per year for indexed programs. Wooster has a population of about 27,012. Median household income is $65,888 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Ohio, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $97,700 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Wooster

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

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 38.4 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mount Vernon, OH 41.6 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
55.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,555
Avg net price $22,421/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,158
Out‑of‑state$37,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, OH 41.9 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,837
Avg net price $3,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 49.3 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Muskingum University

New Concord, OH 57.6 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,440
Avg net price $19,532/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,665
Out‑of‑state$32,665
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 79.9 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Franklin University

Columbus, OH 81.3 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,892
Avg net price $25,243/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 40%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH 96.9 miles from Wooster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $24,022/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 139

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Wooster

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Ohio, statewide)
Social and Community Service Manager$73,890
Urban and Regional Planner$79,950
General and Operations Manager$97,700
Management Analyst$94,270

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.

Wooster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,012Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,888Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Wooster-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Wooster, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Wooster. The closest is Kent State University at Kent in Kent, OH (38.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Muskingum University (57.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles in Ohio?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles in Ohio are: General and Operations Manager ($97,700), Management Analyst ($94,270), Urban and Regional Planner ($79,950). Wages for Wooster workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Wadsworth instead of Wooster?

Wadsworth, OH is 18.0 miles from Wooster 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 Wooster an affordable place to study public administration?

Wooster’s median household income of $65,888 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wooster 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

Other Programs Available in Wooster

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

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 Ohio (2026)