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. The highest-paying schools turn a public administration degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 15 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.
The University Of Texas At Tyler earned the #1 spot for highest-paid public administration graduates in Texas. Set in the city of Tyler, The University Of Texas At Tyler is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Tyler typically earn about $114,380 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Texas State University San Marcos earned it the #2 place for public administration. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a public institution. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,234.
A rank of #3 makes The University Of Texas At Arlington one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Located in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public institution. Early-career public administration graduates from The University Of Texas At Arlington make a median of around $80,355 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at The University Of Texas At El Paso earned it the #4 place for public administration. Located in the city of El Paso, The University Of Texas At El Paso is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from The University Of Texas At El Paso typically earn about $68,589 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Tarleton State University one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Tarleton State University is a public school located in the town of Stephenville. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,986.
The University Of Texas At Dallas came in at #6 for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Richardson, The University Of Texas At Dallas is a public institution. Early-career public administration graduates from The University Of Texas At Dallas make a median of around $76,817 per year.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Texas A And M University College Station is a public school located in the city of College Station. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station typically earn about $75,958 annually.
University Of North Texas landed the #8 spot for public administration salaries this year. University Of North Texas is a public school located in the city of Denton. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of North Texas typically earn about $78,794 annually.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio earned the #9 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of The University Of Texas At San Antonio earn a median of about $64,780 a year early in their careers.
Wayland Baptist University earned the #10 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Plainview. Early-career public administration graduates from Wayland Baptist University make a median of around $59,730 per year.
Texas A And M University Corpus Christi ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Texas A And M University Corpus Christi is a public school located in the city of Corpus Christi. Early-career public administration graduates from Texas A And M University Corpus Christi make a median of around $57,714 per year.
The University Of Texas Pan American earned the #12 position for public administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a public institution. Public Administration graduates of The University Of Texas Pan American earn a median of about $64,745 a year early in their careers.
Texas Southern University placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for public administration. Texas Southern University is a public school located in the city of Houston. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from Texas Southern University typically earn about $61,546 annually.
Strayer University Texas ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Located in the suburb of Farmers Branch, Strayer University Texas is a private for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of Strayer University Texas earn a median of about $60,858 a year early in their careers.
St Marys University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Located in the city of San Antonio, St Marys University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from St Marys University typically earn about $45,166 annually.
This ranking is produced 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 · 15 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.