Best Public Administration Schools Near Beaufort, SC (2026)

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

Beaufort, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs. Beaufort has a population of about 13,660. Median household income is $59,454 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is Management Analyst at a median $119,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Beaufort

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

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 50.5 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,416
Avg net price $18,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 108.5 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Columbia International University

Columbia, SC 114.4 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,951
Avg net price $26,036/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

South University-Columbia

Columbia, SC 114.9 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
18.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $27,693/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 39%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 181.0 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,101
Avg net price $23,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Strayer University-South Carolina

Greenville, SC 191.7 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
25.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 15%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $17,979/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 30%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 196.8 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 136

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Beaufort

Beaufort is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area (BLS area code 25940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$84,470Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC$86,194
Urban and Regional Planner$94,670Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC$96,602
General and Operations Manager$102,770Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC$104,867
Management Analyst$119,430Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC$121,867

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.

Beaufort at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population13,660Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,454Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Beaufort-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Beaufort, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Beaufort. The closest is Savannah State University in Savannah, GA (35.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Georgia Southern University (62.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Beaufort are: Management Analyst ($119,430), General and Operations Manager ($102,770), Urban and Regional Planner ($94,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hilton Head Island instead of Beaufort?

Hilton Head Island, SC is 18.1 miles from Beaufort 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 Beaufort an affordable place to study public administration?

Beaufort’s median household income of $59,454 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Beaufort while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Beaufort

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

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.

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