by our College Data Analytics Team
[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a public administration degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where public administration graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Where you study public administration affects what graduates go on to earn. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Public Administration Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its public administration graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Public Administration Graduates list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
If you want to know which schools send public administration graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Harvard University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid public administration graduates in the United States. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Public Administration graduates of Harvard University earn a median of about $140,456 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At Tyler produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #2 spot this year. The University Of Texas At Tyler is a public school located in the city of Tyler. Public Administration graduates of The University Of Texas At Tyler earn a median of about $114,380 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at Calumet College Of Saint Joseph, which ranked #3. Calumet College Of Saint Joseph is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Whiting. Public Administration graduates of Calumet College Of Saint Joseph earn a median of about $109,761 a year early in their careers.
Anna Maria College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the rural area of Paxton, Anna Maria College is a private not-for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of Anna Maria College earn a median of about $106,733 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at Notre Dame De Namur University, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Belmont, Notre Dame De Namur University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Notre Dame De Namur University make a median of around $99,546 per year.
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University Of San Francisco came in at #6 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of University Of San Francisco earn a median of about $116,575 a year early in their careers.
Columbia University In The City Of New York came in at #7 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Columbia University In The City Of New York typically earn about $112,361 annually.
San Francisco State University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. San Francisco State University is a public school located in the city of San Francisco. Early-career public administration graduates from San Francisco State University make a median of around $111,238 per year.
University Of Pennsylvania placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania typically earn about $114,068 annually.
George Washington University landed the #10 spot for public administration salaries this year. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of George Washington University earn a median of about $119,023 a year early in their careers.
West Texas A And M University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the town of Canyon, West Texas A And M University is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of West Texas A And M University earn a median of about $80,893 a year early in their careers.
New York University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. New York University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $109,485.
American University came in at #13 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from American University make a median of around $113,922 per year.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Public Administration graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of about $92,069 a year early in their careers.
Colorado State University Global Campus earned the #15 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Colorado State University Global Campus is a public school located in the city of Denver. Public Administration graduates of Colorado State University Global Campus earn a median of about $79,182 a year early in their careers.
Golden Gate University San Francisco ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the city of San Francisco, Golden Gate University San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $91,136.
University Of La Verne earned the #17 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. University Of La Verne is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of La Verne. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $85,895.
Marist College came in at #18 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Marist College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Marist College make a median of around $96,529 per year.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of about $111,122 a year early in their careers.
University Of Southern California placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of Southern California typically earn about $101,159 annually.
Northwestern University earned the #21 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Northwestern University typically earn about $106,467 annually.
California State University East Bay ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the suburb of Hayward, California State University East Bay is a public institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $88,982.
Johns Hopkins University ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Johns Hopkins University make a median of around $83,974 per year.
Hamline University came in at #24 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Hamline University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Hamline University make a median of around $94,053 per year.
California State University Northridge came in at #25 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Northridge, California State University Northridge is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of California State University Northridge earn a median of about $91,501 a year early in their careers.
These schools also send public administration graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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Also worth considering for earnings in public administration:
| Rank | College | Location | Avg Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | The Evergreen State College | Olympia, WA | $73,539 | Full Report |
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries public administration graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
