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2026 Public Administration Degree Guide

Studying Public Administration covers Public Administration. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Serve As Managers In The Executive Arm Of Local, State, And Federal Government And That Focuses On The Systematic Study Of Executive Organization And Management. Includes Instruction In The Roles, Development, And Principles Of Public Administration; The Management Of Public Policy; Executive-Legislative Relations; Public Budgetary Processes And Financial Management; Administrative Law; Public Personnel Management; Professional Ethics; And Research Methods. Read on to learn the essential details every public administration major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering public administration programs.

Public Administration Degrees in the United States

Across the country, public administration draws strong interest, with 13,898 degrees awarded annually.

Our 2026 Best Public Administration Schools ranking analyzes these 426 schools to determine the best overall colleges for public administration students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of public administration programs later in this article.

Best Public Administration Schools by Degree

Requirements for Getting a Degree in Public Administration

Coursework for Public Administration build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations public administration graduates commonly enter.

Skills You Will Develop

The skill set built by a public administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

Knowledge Areas

Based on O*NET data, a public administration major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

Public Administration Degree Types

There are several public administration degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.

Degree	Typical Program Length	Graduates Annually
Certificate	Varies	27
Associate Degree	2 years	88
Bachelor’s Degree	4 years	2,130
Master’s Degree	1-3 years	11,308
Doctorate	At least 4 years	344

People currently working in careers related to public administration tend to have obtained the following education levels.

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.8%
Master’s degree	26.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.4%
Some college courses	3.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.4%
Doctoral degree	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.7%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%
First professional degree	0.1%

See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in public administration careers hold.

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Public Administration Careers

Majoring in public administration prepares you for numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to public administration.

In-Demand Public Administration Careers

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to public administration.

Occupation	Projected Jobs	Expected Growth
Managers, All Other	468,025	6.2%
Chief Sustainability Officers	440,982	0.5%
Supply Chain Managers	421,849	12.7%
Chief Executives	374,558	-2.8%
Compliance Managers	310,203	13.0%
Loss Prevention Managers	265,210	2.2%
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	227,314	11.6%
Regulatory Affairs Managers	206,415	9.9%

How Much Money Do Public Administration Grads Make?

Federal data tracks median earnings of public administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,712
4 years	$65,901
5 years	$73,920

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Highest Paid Public Administration Careers

Salaries for public administration graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers public administration grads often go into.

Occupation	Median Annual Salary
Wind Energy Development Managers	$169,952
Legislators	$167,600
Loss Prevention Managers	$165,723
Social and Community Service Managers	$156,089
General and Operations Managers	$149,694
Chief Executives	$138,534
Supply Chain Managers	$138,103
Wind Energy Operations Managers	$122,567

Getting Your Public Administration Degree

With 426 different public administration programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased public administration school rankings to help you.

Public Administration Related Majors

Students interested in public administration, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.

Additional Related Majors

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Public Administration, Other	53
Public Works Management	24
Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies	18

References

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.