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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their public administration graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send public administration graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is George Washington University, our #1 for public administration graduate salaries in District of Columbia. Set 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.
American University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #2 spot 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.
Strayer University District Of Columbia produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Strayer University District Of Columbia is a private for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Public Administration graduates of Strayer University District Of Columbia earn a median of about $60,858 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Strayer University Global Region earned it the #4 place for public administration. Set in the city of Washington, Strayer University Global Region is a private for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $60,858.
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 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.