Best Schools for Public Administration
Public Administration graduates earn a median of $64,779 within four years of graduating, ranking #98 out of 283 tracked majors — 4% above the median across all fields. There are 53 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 2,651 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: Barry University graduates earn $97,702 while University of Wisconsin-Green Bay graduates earn $48,958 — a $48,744 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is modest: Public Administration graduates see an average 2% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Public Administration
Private schools produce $17,111 more in early earnings on average for Public Administration graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Public Administration by State
Top Public Administration Schools by Graduate Earnings
Barry University
Miami, FL · Private
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · Private
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA · Public
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN · Public
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA · Private
West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX · Public
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH · Private
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Public
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA · Private
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC · Public
Flagler College
Saint Augustine, FL · Private
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · Public
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · Public
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA · Public
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR · Public
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, NY · Public
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · Public
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
Florida International University
Miami, FL · Public
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
Indiana University-Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN · Public
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater, WI · Public
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse, WI · Public
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Public
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA · Public
Kean University
Union, NJ · Public
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL · Public
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX · Public
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA · Public
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX · Public
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · Public
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · Public
University of Hawaii-West Oahu
Kapolei, HI · Public
CUNY Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, NY · Public
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN · Public
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ · Public
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI · Public
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Green Bay, WI · Public
National University
San Diego, CA · Private
Colorado State University Global
Denver, CO · Public
University of La Verne
La Verne, CA · Private
Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH · Public
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA · Public
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · Public
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI · Public
Showing top 50 of 53 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
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