UNC MPA Program Remains Among Top 20 Public Affairs Schools in United States

The UNC Master of Public Administration program has once again been named one of “America’s Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report.

The program is among the top 20 public affairs programs in the nation, maintaining its 19th ranking overall in 2022 and remaining the top-ranked public MPA graduate program in North Carolina. In addition, the program retained its prestigious second-ranked position in the nation for its local government specialty area and improved two spots to 13th-best in the public management and leadership field.

“We are delighted that UNC MPA continues to be ranked as one of the best programs in the nation by our peers, including our stellar reputation in local government management,” said Program Director Bill Rivenbark. “Our rankings play a major role in helping us recruit the very best students to our program, which is fundamental to accomplishing our mission of preparing public service leaders.”

The 2022 list marks the third consecutive improvement or maintenance of a highly-ranked specialty area offered by UNC MPA.

This year’s rankings included updated rankings for graduate programs in public affairs; public health schools and programs; business; engineering; and library and information studies, as well as doctoral program rankings in economics, English, history, sociology, political science, and criminology and criminal justice. In addition, the Report released its first-ever standalone ranking on student diversity for medical and law schools.

Find all of the U.S. News & World Report rankings online and learn more about other graduate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill and their rankings.

Recent Blog Posts

July 11, 2025

Meet Carlos Morales, a 2nd year student in the UNC MPA program. I grew up in Columbia, SC,...

Learn More

  • Uncategorized

July 11, 2025

This post was written by current student Tyler Holden....

Learn More

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Policy
  • Students
  • Professional Work Experience (PWE)
  • Administration
  • Community Engagement

July 08, 2025

As I reach the midway point of my PWE with the Stanly County Economic Development Commission...

Learn More

  • Local Government
  • Economic Development