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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their public administration graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose public administration graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earned the #1 spot for highest-paid public administration graduates in Minnesota. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public institution. After graduating, public administration degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities typically earn about $92,069 annually.
Hamline University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public administration schools. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. Public Administration graduates of Hamline University earn a median of about $94,053 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in public administration will find them at Capella University, which ranked #3. Capella University is a private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. Students who complete the public administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,061.
A rank of #4 makes Walden University one of the highest-paying schools for public administration. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Walden University is a private for-profit institution. Public Administration graduates of Walden University earn a median of about $71,576 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled 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.