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 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying public administration schools.
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.
University Of Louisville tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools in Kentucky. Set in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of Louisville typically earn about $61,153 annually.
Northern Kentucky University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Northern Kentucky University is a public school located in the suburb of Highland Heights. Early-career public administration graduates from Northern Kentucky University make a median of around $55,468 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at University Of Kentucky, which ranked #3. University Of Kentucky is a public school located in the city of Lexington. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,585.
A rank of #4 makes Eastern Kentucky University one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Set in the town of Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median of about $54,235 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Murray State University earned it the #5 place for public administration. Murray State University is a public school located in the town of Murray. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Murray State University typically earn about $53,876 annually.
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.