Public Administration: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 44.04. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 892 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 41 | 100 | $48,089 | $64,764 | $15,078 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 29 | 88 | $37,841 | $42,748 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 188 | 2,130 | $50,470 | $65,093 | $20,590 33 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 21 | 0 | $67,771 | $85,234 | $23,635 3 programs |
| Master's degree | 409 | 10,522 | $69,075 | $81,408 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 51 | 340 | $93,791 | $99,464 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 4 | $73,380 | $79,644 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 150 | 809 | $61,257 | $78,022 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State University FL · Public · 48 graduates measured | $45,036 | $67,522 | $15,078 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $84,412 | $85,789 | $37,500 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public · 28 graduates measured | $81,648 | $85,909 | Data unavailable |
| Barry University FL · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $76,893 | $97,702 | $42,775 |
| University of La Verne CA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $75,236 | Data unavailable | $27,250 |
| Upper Iowa University IA · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $73,411 | $70,374 | $25,062 |
| Park University MO · Private, nonprofit · 41 graduates measured | $64,858 | Data unavailable | $10,250 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 95 graduates measured | $61,347 | $89,732 | $22,674 |
| Flagler College FL · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $57,780 | $70,202 | $21,709 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 51 graduates measured | $57,324 | $68,272 | $44,855 |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills CA · Public · 41 graduates measured | $57,138 | $68,008 | $19,103 |
| Indian River State College FL · Public · 27 graduates measured | $56,527 | $56,032 | $7,223 |
| Western Carolina University NC · Public · 69 graduates measured | $56,514 | $70,331 | $19,765 |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $55,820 | $67,973 | $22,531 |
| James Madison University VA · Public · 44 graduates measured | $52,411 | $71,626 | $13,353 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 417 graduates measured | $52,286 | $77,422 | $17,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $88,998 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 144 graduates measured | $172,076 | $177,149 | Data unavailable |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph IN · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $121,715 | $121,754 | Data unavailable |
| Anna Maria College MA · Private, nonprofit · 114 graduates measured | $104,486 | $123,207 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 59 graduates measured | $100,157 | $104,073 | Data unavailable |
| Golden Gate University CA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $99,103 | $122,598 | Data unavailable |
| Cumberland University TN · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $98,505 | $60,726 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 147 graduates measured | $94,158 | $115,874 | Data unavailable |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 63 graduates measured | $93,585 | $96,385 | Data unavailable |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 91 graduates measured | $93,375 | $113,891 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $91,772 | $97,311 | Data unavailable |
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $91,233 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $89,556 | $108,093 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 93 graduates measured | $88,982 | $100,692 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 187 graduates measured | $88,610 | $103,721 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 169 graduates measured | $88,519 | $109,946 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Baptist University CA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $122,488 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 21 graduates measured | $115,863 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $109,792 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Walden University MN · Private, for-profit · 183 graduates measured | $93,038 | $100,861 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $73,545 | $78,355 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University at Albany NY · Public · 19 graduates measured | $57,964 | $81,812 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Dallas TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $55,811 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Public Administration
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| General and operations managers | $105,770 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers | $107,230 | +6.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Construction managers | $114,990 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Postmasters and mail superintendents | $96,660 | -0.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Social and community service managers | $80,390 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Urban and regional planners | $89,320 | +3.9% | Master's degree |
| Traffic technicians | $59,090 | +4.0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 44.0401 Public Administration
- 44.0402 Public Works Management
- 44.0403 Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
- 44.0499 Public Administration, Other