Public Administration: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Public Administration graduates earn a median $65,093 four years after finishing — $16,733/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 4 years. Federal data pools 165 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 2,675 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Public Administration ranks #91 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 55% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry University | FL | $97,702 |
| 2 | Syracuse University | NY | $89,732 |
| 3 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | $85,909 |
| 4 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $85,789 |
| 5 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $77,422 |
| 6 | California Baptist University | CA | $75,949 |
| 7 | West Texas A & M University | TX | $74,261 |
| 8 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | $72,437 |
| 9 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | $72,433 |
| 10 | James Madison University | VA | $71,626 |
| 11 | Upper Iowa University | IA | $70,374 |
| 12 | Western Carolina University | NC | $70,331 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.