Best Public Administration Schools Near Winchester, VA (2026)

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

Winchester, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs. Winchester has a population of about 27,981. Median household income is $64,648 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Winchester, VA-WV metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is Management Analyst at a median $110,340 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Winchester

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

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 52.2 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Strayer University-Virginia

Arlington, VA 61.6 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $19,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 42%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Management and Technology

Arlington, VA 62.2 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,530
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 63.2 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 80.6 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 118.8 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 137.3 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Hampton University

Hampton, VA 179.1 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,159
Avg net price $25,319/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Winchester

Winchester is part of the Winchester, VA-WV metro area (BLS area code 49020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$84,200Winchester, VA-WV$87,254
Urban and Regional Planner$86,030VA statewide$89,150
General and Operations Manager$98,670Winchester, VA-WV$102,249
Management Analyst$110,340Winchester, VA-WV$114,342

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.

Winchester at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,981Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,648Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Winchester-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Winchester, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Winchester. The closest is American Public University System in Charles Town, WV (18.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Strayer University-Virginia (61.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Winchester are: Management Analyst ($110,340), General and Operations Manager ($98,670), Urban and Regional Planner ($86,030). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Charles Town instead of Winchester?

Charles Town, WV is 18.1 miles from Winchester 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 Winchester an affordable place to study public administration?

Winchester’s median household income of $64,648 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winchester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Winchester

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

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 Virginia (2026)