Majors
Best Colleges for Public Administration, by Earnings
118 of the colleges we track award a bachelor's degree in Public Administration, about 2,276 degrees a year. Across the 42 that report earnings, graduates make a median of $65,547 four years after finishing.
| Rank | College | State | Median earnings, 4 years out | Degrees a year | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry University | FL | $97,702 | 25 | 77.2% |
| 2 | Syracuse University | NY | $89,732 | 88 | 45.9% |
| 3 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | $85,909 | 48 | |
| 4 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $85,789 | 24 | 93.5% |
| 5 | Indiana University | IN | $77,422 | 420 | 78.2% |
| 6 | California Baptist University | CA | $75,949 | 16 | 84.9% |
| 7 | West Texas A & M University | TX | $74,261 | 2 | 98.7% |
| 8 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | $72,437 | 8 | 99.5% |
| 9 | James Madison University | VA | $71,626 | 56 | 71.5% |
| 10 | Upper Iowa University | IA | $70,374 | 17 | 96.5% |
| 11 | Western Carolina University | NC | $70,331 | 120 | 81.8% |
| 12 | Flagler College | FL | $70,202 | 16 | 80.8% |
| 13 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | $69,033 | 45 | 47.5% |
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $68,497 | 24 | 90.5% |
| 15 | The University of Arizona Global Campus | AZ | $68,344 | 3 | |
| 16 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | $68,008 | 42 | 93.3% |
| 17 | George Mason University | VA | $67,973 | 29 | 87.5% |
| 18 | University of Oregon | OR | $67,030 | 66 | 88.3% |
| 19 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | $66,834 | 38 | 57.1% |
| 20 | Wayne State University | MI | $66,396 | 7 | 81.2% |
| 21 | Auburn University | AL | $66,141 | 6 | 45.9% |
| 22 | University of Arizona | AZ | $64,953 | 32 | 86.1% |
| 23 | Florida International University | FL | $62,424 | 81 | 54.7% |
| 24 | Ohio State University | OH | $60,678 | 88 | 60.6% |
| 25 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | IN | $60,564 | 66 | 76.4% |
| 26 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | WI | $60,383 | 6 | 85.7% |
| 27 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | WI | $60,079 | 14 | 75.5% |
| 28 | Texas State University | TX | $59,074 | 30 | 89.3% |
| 29 | University of Northern Iowa | IA | $58,307 | 9 | 92.7% |
| 30 | Kean University | NJ | $58,100 | 13 | 75.9% |
| 31 | Florida Atlantic University | FL | $57,679 | 41 | 66.1% |
| 32 | San Diego State University | CA | $57,264 | 56 | 36.2% |
| 33 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | $56,557 | 30 | 86.8% |
| 34 | The University of Texas at Dallas | TX | $55,467 | 9 | 65.1% |
| 35 | University of Central Florida | FL | $55,259 | 47 | 40.1% |
| 36 | California State University-Chico | CA | $54,714 | 6 | 92.7% |
| 37 | University of Hawaii-West Oahu | HI | $53,891 | 115 | 95.3% |
| 38 | CUNY Medgar Evers College | NY | $53,849 | 18 | 86.1% |
| 39 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | IN | $53,257 | 23 | 83.9% |
| 40 | Northern Arizona University | AZ | $52,834 | 4 | 89.6% |
| 41 | Grand Valley State University | MI | $49,776 | 26 | 83% |
| 42 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | WI | $48,958 | 7 | 88.6% |
76 more colleges award this degree but have no earnings figure, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
Which college has the highest-paid Public Administration graduates?
Barry University ($97,702), Syracuse University ($89,732), University of Maryland Global Campus ($85,909), California State University-Northridge ($85,789), Indiana University ($77,422) report the highest median earnings four years after graduation.
How much do Public Administration majors make?
The median across 42 colleges is $65,547 four years after graduation. By college it runs from $48,958 to $97,702.
Which colleges have the biggest Public Administration programs?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: Indiana University (420), Western Carolina University (120), University of Hawaii-West Oahu (115), Syracuse University (88), Ohio State University (88).
Does a higher-earning program mean a better program?
Not on its own. Earnings reflect where graduates live, what jobs they take, and who enrolled in the first place, as well as the teaching. The figures cover only graduates who received federal financial aid, and small programs are left out, so a college missing from this list may still have a strong department.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release, federal program category "Public Administration". Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after a bachelor's degree.
