by our College Data Analytics Team
[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a public administration degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find where public administration graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose public administration graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Barry University the top school for public administration graduate earnings in Florida. Barry University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Miami. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Barry University typically earn about $73,915 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Miami earned it the #2 place for public administration. Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, University Of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,710.
Strong graduate earnings at Flagler College St Augustine earned it the #3 place for public administration. Located in the suburb of Saint Augustine, Flagler College St Augustine is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,473.
Nova Southeastern University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Nova Southeastern University make a median of around $65,021 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Florida International University one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Florida International University is a public school located in the suburb of Miami. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,156.
Florida Atlantic University earned the #6 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of Florida Atlantic University earn a median of about $61,423 a year early in their careers.
Florida State University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. Florida State University is a public school located in the city of Tallahassee. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,457.
University Of South Florida Main Campus placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. Located in the city of Tampa, University Of South Florida Main Campus is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of University Of South Florida Main Campus earn a median of about $71,108 a year early in their careers.
Florida Gulf Coast University earned the #9 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,610.
University Of Central Florida came in at #10 for public administration graduate earnings this year. University Of Central Florida is a public school located in the suburb of Orlando. Early-career public administration graduates from University Of Central Florida make a median of around $61,548 per year.
University Of North Florida earned the #11 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. University Of North Florida is a public school located in the city of Jacksonville. Early-career public administration graduates from University Of North Florida make a median of around $67,027 per year.
Strayer University Florida placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. Set in the suburb of Tampa, Strayer University Florida is a private for-profit institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Strayer University Florida typically earn about $60,858 annually.
St Petersburg College came in at #13 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of St. Petersburg, St Petersburg College is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from St Petersburg College typically earn about $42,735 annually.
Indian River State College landed the #14 spot for public administration salaries this year. Indian River State College is a public school located in the suburb of Fort Pierce. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Indian River State College typically earn about $38,943 annually.
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 · 14 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.