American University: Public Policy Analysis

Master's degree · CIP 44.05 · No credentials fully online · Washington, DC

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $73,753 one year after completing and $98,588 four years after. Median debt was not published. Nationally, graduates of master's degree programs in this field earned a median of $74,461 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$73,753
74 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
$98,588
Verified data
Median federal debt
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Debt to first-year earnings
Data unavailable
Data unavailable

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$73,753$74,461
Median earnings 4 years after completion$98,588$93,020
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)Suppressed for privacyData unavailable Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)Data unavailable
Graduates in the most recent year972,870 across 182 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

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.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

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.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Harvard University
MA · Private, nonprofit
$102,390Data unavailable
Princeton University
NJ · Private, nonprofit
$98,226Data unavailable
Georgetown University
DC · Private, nonprofit
$94,735Data unavailable
Tufts University
MA · Private, nonprofit
$92,634Data unavailable
University of Chicago
IL · Private, nonprofit
$88,156Data unavailable
George Mason University
VA · Public
$83,794Data unavailable
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
$81,950Data unavailable
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Private, nonprofit
$80,486Data unavailable
The New School
NY · Private, nonprofit
$80,469Data unavailable
Drexel University
PA · Private, nonprofit
$80,296Data unavailable

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American University Public Policy Analysis (Master's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence