Best Public Administration Schools Near Jackson, TN (2026)

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

Jackson, Tennessee has 3 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $13,920 to $25,158 per year for indexed programs. Jackson has a population of about 68,098. Median household income is $51,552 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jackson, TN metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $98,040 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Jackson

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

Strayer University-Tennessee

Memphis, TN 72.1 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
31.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 14%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $11,645/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,920
Out‑of‑state$13,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 36%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN 72.3 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN 117.8 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,730
Avg net price $15,796/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 118.2 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 121.2 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Cumberland University

Lebanon, TN 146.9 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,687
Avg net price $18,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 203.5 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 225.7 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Jackson

Jackson is part of the Jackson, TN metro area (BLS area code 27180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$88,690Jackson, TN$103,731
Urban and Regional Planner$78,970TN statewide$92,363
General and Operations Manager$98,040Jackson, TN$114,667
Management Analyst$80,790Jackson, TN$94,491

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.

Jackson at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population68,098Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,552Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Jackson-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Jackson, TN?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Jackson. The closest is Strayer University-Tennessee in Memphis, TN (72.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Memphis (72.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Jackson are: General and Operations Manager ($98,040), Social and Community Service Manager ($88,690), Management Analyst ($80,790). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dyersburg instead of Jackson?

Dyersburg, TN is 40.7 miles from Jackson 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 Jackson an affordable place to study public administration?

Jackson’s median household income of $51,552 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jackson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Jackson

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

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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