News Release

MPA program again gains high national ranking

April 9, 2008

The national regard for Penn State Harrisburg’s Master of Public Administration program continues to escalate.

In its newest rankings of public affairs graduate programs throughout the nation, U.S. News and World Report places Penn State Harrisburg’s MPA program at number 51 out of 269 colleges and universities. The ranking, establishing the program among the top 20 percent in the country, surpasses the number 57 earned in two previous ratings by the magazine.

The MPA program at Penn State Harrisburg is housed in its School of Public Affairs which has been designated the flagship school in public affairs for the entire University.

Programs ranked at number 51 with Penn State Harrisburg included those at Brown University, Georgia Tech, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina State, Rutgers University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

"This higher ranking testifies to the reputation for quality that our MPA program has within the larger public affairs graduate community," says Steven A. Peterson, Director of the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg.

MPA program coordinator Jeremy Plant adds, "And while it is gratifying to be ranked in the top twenty percent of all such programs, our challenge is now to redouble our efforts to gain an even greater reputation for the quality of our programming in the future."

The School of Public Affairs offers baccalaureate majors in Criminal Justice, Public Policy, and Political Science and master’s study in Public Administration, Health Administration, and Criminal Justice, and a doctorate in Public Administration.