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.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying public administration schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose public administration graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Harvard University, our #1 for public administration graduate salaries in Massachusetts. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $140,456.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at Anna Maria College, which ranked #2. Located in the rural area of Paxton, Anna Maria College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $106,733.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at Suffolk University, which ranked #3. Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Public Administration graduates of Suffolk University earn a median of about $85,129 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Massachusetts Boston earned it the #4 place for public administration. Set in the city of Boston, University Of Massachusetts Boston is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Boston typically earn about $85,920 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Northeastern University one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Northeastern University typically earn about $87,343 annually.
Clark University landed the #6 spot for public administration salaries this year. Clark University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Clark University typically earn about $67,812 annually.
Framingham State University landed the #7 spot for public administration salaries this year. Set in the city of Framingham, Framingham State University is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Framingham State University typically earn about $59,568 annually.
This list is compiled 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 · 7 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.