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 5 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 University Of Pennsylvania, our #1 for public administration graduate salaries in Pennsylvania. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania typically earn about $114,068 annually.
Villanova University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova University is a private not-for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of Villanova University earn a median of about $82,122 a year early in their careers.
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median of about $83,781 a year early in their careers.
Strayer University Pennsylvania produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Trevose, Strayer University Pennsylvania is a private for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $60,858.
Shippensburg University Of Pennsylvania produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the town of Shippensburg, Shippensburg University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Shippensburg University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $52,644 per year.
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 · 5 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.