by our College Data Analytics Team
[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find where public administration graduates earn the most.
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Below are the schools whose public administration graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Miami University Oxford, our #1 for public administration graduate salaries in Ohio. Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a public institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,271.
Strong graduate earnings at Franklin University earned it the #2 place for public administration. Set in the city of Columbus, Franklin University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Franklin University make a median of around $72,991 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at Kent State University At Kent, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent typically earn about $68,525 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Ohio State University Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Ohio State University Main Campus make a median of around $70,630 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Wright State University Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Located in the suburb of Dayton, Wright State University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Wright State University Main Campus make a median of around $68,580 per year.
Ohio University Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Ohio University Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Athens. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus typically earn about $56,199 annually.
Cleveland State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Cleveland State University is a public school located in the city of Cleveland. Public Administration graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median of about $61,527 a year early in their careers.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus landed the #8 spot for public administration salaries this year. Located in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn a median of about $37,119 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their public administration graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 8 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.