Best Public Policy/Administration Universities in United States [2026 Rankings]

1

California | Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Public Policy / Administration

#1 in North America #1 in the World

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

2

Connecticut | New Haven

Yale University

For Public Policy / Administration

#2 in North America #4 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1701 Founded

3

Massachusetts | Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

For Public Policy / Administration

#3 in North America #5 in the World

4% Acceptance

1,489 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1636 Founded

4

Michigan | Ann Arbor

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

For Public Policy / Administration

#4 in North America #6 in the World

16% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1445 Avg SAT

1817 Founded

5

California | Stanford

Stanford University

For Public Policy / Administration

#6 in North America #8 in the World

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

6

New York State | New York City

Columbia University

For Public Policy / Administration

#7 in North America #9 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1754 Founded

7

Washington | Seattle

University of Washington – Seattle

For Public Policy / Administration

#8 in North America #14 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

8

Pennsylvania | Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania

For Public Policy / Administration

#9 in North America #15 in the World

5% Acceptance

1,947 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1740 Founded

9

North Carolina | Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For Public Policy / Administration

#10 in North America #16 in the World

15% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1789 Founded

10

South Carolina | Columbia, SC

University of South Carolina – Columbia

For Public Policy / Administration

#11 in North America #17 in the World

60% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1801 Founded

11

Maryland | Baltimore

Johns Hopkins University

For Public Policy / Administration

#12 in North America #18 in the World

6% Acceptance

6,636 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

12

Illinois | Chicago

University of Chicago

For Public Policy / Administration

#13 in North America #19 in the World

4% Acceptance

7,598 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

13

New York State | New York City

New York University

For Public Policy / Administration

#14 in North America #20 in the World

9% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1831 Founded

14

New York State | Ithaca

Cornell University

For Public Policy / Administration

#15 in North America #21 in the World

9% Acceptance

16,128 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

15

South Carolina | Charleston, SC

Medical University of South Carolina

For Public Policy / Administration

#16 in North America #24 in the World

56% Acceptance

2,617 Enrollment

1035 Avg SAT

1824 Founded

16

Missouri | St. Louis

Washington University in St Louis

For Public Policy / Administration

#17 in North America #25 in the World

12% Acceptance

2,256 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

17

Wisconsin | Madison, WI

University of Wisconsin – Madison

For Public Policy / Administration

#18 in North America #26 in the World

45% Acceptance

38,040 Enrollment

1450 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

18

Ohio | Columbus, OH

Ohio State University

For Public Policy / Administration

#19 in North America #27 in the World

61% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

19

California | Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Public Policy / Administration

#20 in North America #30 in the World

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

20

Arizona | Tempe

Arizona State University – Tempe

For Public Policy / Administration

#21 in North America #31 in the World

90% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

970 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

21

Pennsylvania | University Park, PA

Pennsylvania State University

For Public Policy / Administration

#22 in North America #32 in the World

61% Acceptance

42,604 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

22

California | San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Public Policy / Administration

#23 in North America #33 in the World

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

23

District of Columbia | Washington, DC

George Washington University

For Public Policy / Administration

#24 in North America #35 in the World

47% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1425 Avg SAT

1821 Founded

24

New Jersey | New Brunswick, NJ

Rutgers University – New Brunswick

For Public Policy / Administration

#25 in North America #36 in the World

58% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1766 Founded

25

California | Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Public Policy / Administration

#26 in North America #37 in the World

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

26

North Carolina | Durham, NC

Duke University

For Public Policy / Administration

#27 in North America #38 in the World

6% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1838 Founded

27

Michigan | East Lansing

Michigan State University

For Public Policy / Administration

#29 in North America #45 in the World

85% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

28

Minnesota | Minneapolis

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

For Public Policy / Administration

#30 in North America #46 in the World

80% Acceptance

15,019 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

29

District of Columbia | Washington, DC

Georgetown University

For Public Policy / Administration

#31 in North America #47 in the World

13% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1470 Avg SAT

1789 Founded

30

Massachusetts | Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Public Policy / Administration

#32 in North America #50 in the World

5% Acceptance

4,535 Enrollment

1550 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

31

Virginia | Fairfax

George Mason University

For Public Policy / Administration

#33 in North America #53 in the World

87% Acceptance

6,353 Enrollment

1260 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

32

Florida | Tallahassee

Florida State University

For Public Policy / Administration

#34 in North America #55 in the World

24% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

33

Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

For Public Policy / Administration

#35 in North America #56 in the World

58% Acceptance

25,900 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

34

New Jersey | Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

For Public Policy / Administration

#36 in North America #58 in the World

5% Acceptance

5,813 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1746 Founded

35

Virginia | Charlottesville

University of Virginia

For Public Policy / Administration

#37 in North America #60 in the World

17% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1819 Founded

36

Maryland | College Park

University of Maryland – College Park

For Public Policy / Administration

#39 in North America #62 in the World

45% Acceptance

31,133 Enrollment

1465 Avg SAT

1856 Founded

37

North Carolina | Raleigh

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

For Public Policy / Administration

#40 in North America #63 in the World

42% Acceptance

28,422 Enrollment

1385 Avg SAT

1887 Founded

38

Indiana | Bloomington, IN

Indiana University – Bloomington

For Public Policy / Administration

#41 in North America #65 in the World

78% Acceptance

6,885 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1820 Founded

39

Florida | Gainesville, FL

University of Florida

For Public Policy / Administration

#42 in North America #69 in the World

24% Acceptance

36,573 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

40

District of Columbia | Washington, DC

American University in Washington

For Public Policy / Administration

#43 in North America #70 in the World

62% Acceptance

7,476 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1893 Founded

41

Texas | Austin, TX

University of Texas at Austin

For Public Policy / Administration

#44 in North America #71 in the World

27% Acceptance

43,165 Enrollment

1380 Avg SAT

1883 Founded

42

Arizona | Tucson

University of Arizona

For Public Policy / Administration

#45 in North America #73 in the World

86% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

43

Illinois | Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

For Public Policy / Administration

#46 in North America #75 in the World

42% Acceptance

37,140 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

44

New York State | Syracuse

Syracuse University

For Public Policy / Administration

#48 in North America #78 in the World

46% Acceptance

14,074 Enrollment

1355 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

45

Tennessee | Nashville

Vanderbilt University

For Public Policy / Administration

#49 in North America #79 in the World

6% Acceptance

7,221 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

46

Texas | College Station

Texas A&M University – College Station

For Public Policy / Administration

#50 in North America #82 in the World

57% Acceptance

60,710 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

47

Georgia, US | Atlanta

Georgia State University

For Public Policy / Administration

#51 in North America #83 in the World

55% Acceptance

12,230 Enrollment

1060 Avg SAT

1913 Founded

48

California | Davis

University of California – Davis

For Public Policy / Administration

#52 in North America #86 in the World

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

49

Illinois | Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago

For Public Policy / Administration

#53 in North America #87 in the World

77% Acceptance

22,495 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

50

Georgia, US | Athens, GA

University of Georgia

For Public Policy / Administration

#54 in North America #88 in the World

38% Acceptance

3,177 Enrollment

1375 Avg SAT

1785 Founded

51

Illinois | Evanston

Northwestern University

For Public Policy / Administration

#56 in North America #91 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,399 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

52

New York State | Albany, NY

SUNY at Albany

For Public Policy / Administration

#59 in North America #97 in the World

69% Acceptance

9,536 Enrollment

1355 Avg SAT

1844 Founded

53

California | Irvine

University of California – Irvine

For Public Policy / Administration

#60 in North America #98 in the World

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

54

Massachusetts | Boston

Boston University

For Public Policy / Administration

#61 in North America #100 in the World

11% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

54 Best Universities in United States for Public Policy/Administration

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