Public Administration at James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA · Bachelor's Degree · about 56 graduates a year

$48,396
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$71,626
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$65,093
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#10 of 47
Rank by pay
#20 of 47
Rank, wage-adjusted
$18,250
Median federal debt

James Madison University graduates in public administration earn 10% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 25% of one year’s pay at that point.

How James Madison University Compares for Public Administration

All 47 colleges reporting public administration earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Barry University Miami, FL$97,702$103,991#1$103,107
2Syracuse University Syracuse, NY$89,732$85,406#2$53,912
3University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD$85,909$75,395#7$74,053
4California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA$85,789$78,062#4$76,049
5Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN$77,422$83,060#3$47,013
6California Baptist University Riverside, CA$75,949$69,109#14$68,682
7West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX$74,261$75,502#5—
8Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH$72,437$66,722#17$73,129
9University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV$72,433$75,177#8—
10James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA$71,626$65,222#20$48,396
11Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA$70,374$74,025#11$61,104
12Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC$70,331$75,475#6$56,445
13Flagler College Saint Augustine, FL$70,202$74,721#10$61,613

Other Public Administration Credentials at James Madison University

Credential1 yr after4 yrs afterMedian debt
Master's Degree—$81,363—

Other Majors at James Madison University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Information Science/Studies$113,345$80,173#5 of 148
Finance and Financial Management Services$104,926$67,849#33 of 452
Computer and Information Sciences$104,806$81,761#94 of 459
Accounting and Related Services$98,767$71,563#58 of 796
Engineering$91,761$71,176#19 of 57
International Business$91,141—#16 of 115
Systems Science and Theory$91,034$65,683#2 of 6
Marketing$89,944$61,692#23 of 516
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$87,056$76,490#473 of 966
Economics$86,681$62,286#130 of 368
Business Administration, Management and Operations$85,137$65,931#79 of 1176
Science, Technology and Society$82,455$54,235#5 of 10
Health and Medical Administrative Services$77,393$53,913#30 of 275
Mathematics$75,295$58,810#115 of 309
Chemistry$74,631$45,799#42 of 209
Political Science and Government$73,326$42,128#88 of 565
International Relations and National Security Studies$68,798$44,667#46 of 118
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$67,033$33,971#2 of 50
Communication and Media Studies$66,436$42,769#81 of 660
Biotechnology$65,893$41,832#12 of 13
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$65,770—#34 of 215
Hospitality Administration/Management$65,016$46,915#22 of 137
Geography and Cartography$63,768$45,094#35 of 117
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$63,065$35,955#82 of 610
Biology$62,914$34,159#250 of 841
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$62,366$45,122#12 of 90
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies$61,496$40,966—
Anthropology$60,841$30,686#11 of 188
Philosophy and Religious Studies$59,604$28,712—
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$59,501$24,860#14 of 50

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do James Madison University public administration graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $48,396 one year after graduating and $71,626 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does James Madison University rank for public administration?

Among 47 colleges reporting earnings for public administration graduates, James Madison University ranks #10 by median pay four years after graduation, and #20 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is public administration at James Madison University worth it?

Its graduates earn 10% more than the national median for public administration ($65,093), and the median federal debt at graduation is $18,250.

← All data for James Madison University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.