Public Administration
CIP Code: 44.0401A public administration degree prepares graduates for careers in Chief executives, Managers, all other, General and operations managers and more. 426 colleges and universities offer this program.
Public Administration Salary by College
Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $65,093 four years after graduating (middle half: $47,237–$86,663). Where you study it matters: across 47 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $47,320 to $97,702.
Sort by:
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | 1 yr after | Median debt | Outcome Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry University Miami, FL | $97,702 | $103,991 | $103,107 | $33,381 | C+ |
| 2 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | $89,732 | $85,406 | $53,912 | $26,000 | A |
| 3 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD | $85,909 | $75,395 | $74,053 | $21,169 | C+ |
| 4 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | $85,789 | $78,062 | $76,049 | $36,442 | C |
| 5 | Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN | $77,422 | $83,060 | $47,013 | $19,500 | A |
| 6 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA | $75,949 | $69,109 | $68,682 | $36,707 | C+ |
| 7 | West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX | $74,261 | $75,502 | — | — | D |
| 8 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | $72,437 | $66,722 | $73,129 | $23,014 | C |
| 9 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV | $72,433 | $75,177 | — | — | C+ |
| 10 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA | $71,626 | $65,222 | $48,396 | $18,250 | B+ |
| 11 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA | $70,374 | $74,025 | $61,104 | $25,000 | C+ |
| 12 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | $70,331 | $75,475 | $56,445 | $17,234 | C |
| 13 | Flagler College Saint Augustine, FL | $70,202 | $74,721 | $61,613 | $21,117 | C |
| 14 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | $69,033 | $65,705 | $37,792 | $14,159 | A |
| 15 | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA | $68,497 | $62,328 | $36,626 | $12,981 | C+ |
| 16 | Ashford University San Diego, CA | $68,344 | $62,189 | $65,503 | $33,349 | F |
| 17 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ | $68,272 | $70,151 | $61,790 | $38,250 | F |
| 18 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA | $68,008 | $61,883 | $45,471 | $17,250 | D |
| 19 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA | $67,973 | $61,896 | $56,674 | $18,750 | B+ |
| 20 | University of Oregon Eugene, OR | $67,030 | $67,425 | $39,365 | $15,795 | B |
| 21 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY | $66,834 | $63,612 | $48,881 | $14,604 | C |
| 22 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI | $66,396 | $70,007 | $38,767 | $23,086 | C+ |
| 23 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | $66,141 | $75,076 | — | — | A |
| 24 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | $64,953 | $66,740 | $39,136 | $20,202 | B |
| 25 | Florida International University Miami, FL | $62,424 | $66,442 | $46,281 | $23,000 | B+ |
| 26 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | $60,678 | $64,753 | $41,650 | $20,500 | A |
| 27 | Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | $60,564 | $64,974 | $43,110 | $20,625 | C+ |
| 28 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI | $60,383 | $62,831 | $44,951 | $23,829 | C+ |
| 29 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI | $60,079 | $62,515 | $43,632 | $18,648 | B+ |
| 30 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX | $59,074 | $60,061 | $46,491 | $24,141 | C+ |
| 31 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA | $58,307 | $61,332 | $38,877 | $20,082 | B |
| 32 | Kean University Union, NJ | $58,100 | $50,993 | $45,850 | $26,307 | D |
| 33 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL | $57,679 | $61,392 | $46,047 | $17,000 | B |
| 34 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA | $57,264 | $52,106 | $41,020 | $14,999 | B |
| 35 | The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX | $56,557 | $57,502 | $38,358 | $20,000 | C+ |
| 36 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | $56,534 | $51,442 | $36,969 | $12,904 | C |
| 37 | Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL | $56,032 | $59,639 | $38,521 | — | C |
| 38 | The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX | $55,467 | $56,394 | $36,328 | $18,000 | A |
| 39 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | $55,259 | $58,816 | $38,681 | $16,875 | B+ |
| 40 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA | $54,714 | $49,786 | — | — | B |
| 41 | University of Hawaii-West Oahu Kapolei, HI | $53,891 | $49,035 | $42,481 | $13,687 | D |
| 42 | CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY | $53,849 | $51,253 | $43,317 | $17,625 | F |
| 43 | Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN | $53,257 | $57,135 | $34,780 | $20,375 | F |
| 44 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | $52,834 | $54,288 | — | — | C+ |
| 45 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI | $49,776 | $52,483 | $36,236 | $25,000 | B |
| 46 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI | $48,958 | $50,943 | — | — | C |
| 47 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL | $47,320 | $50,366 | $42,735 | $24,619 | B |
Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.
What Can You Do With a Public Administration Degree?
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
Best Colleges for Public Administration
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in public administration.
Largest Public Administration Programs
Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most public administration graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.
About Public Administration
Public Administration is a degree program offered at 426 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 13,898 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as chief executives, managers, all other, general and operations managers, transportation, storage, and distribution managers, postmasters and mail superintendents, and 2 more career paths.