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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find where public administration graduates earn the most.
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.
Grand Canyon University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools in Arizona. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Grand Canyon University make a median of around $71,360 per year.
Arizona State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public administration, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a public institution. Early-career public administration graduates from Arizona State University make a median of around $76,572 per year.
University Of Phoenix Arizona came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Located in the city of Phoenix, University Of Phoenix Arizona is a private for-profit institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $59,519.
University Of Arizona came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Set in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of about $68,860 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published 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 · 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.