Best Public Administration Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

208

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$286,962

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$33,625

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 The University of Texas at Tyler

Grad rate: 45.3%

 TX +$1,163,822 $102,558 $23,669 N/A Full ROI →
2 Calumet College of Saint Joseph

Grad rate: 27.3%

 IN +$1,137,284 $102,040 $31,758 N/A Full ROI →
3 Harvard University

Grad rate: 97.5%

 MA +$1,077,536 $104,161 $82,842 N/A Full ROI →
4 Notre Dame de Namur University

Grad rate: 39.2%

 CA +$960,980 $90,049 N/A N/A Full ROI →
5 Anna Maria College

Grad rate: 40.4%

 MA +$959,108 $96,066 $61,106 N/A Full ROI →
6 University of San Francisco

Grad rate: 72.8%

 CA +$926,098 $95,947 $76,421 N/A Full ROI →
7 Boston University

Grad rate: 89.5%

 MA +$877,532 $94,146 $82,694 N/A Full ROI →
8 Syracuse University

Grad rate: 82.4%

 NY +$876,648 $93,872 $80,396 N/A Full ROI →
9 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Grad rate: 86.3%

 VA +$849,080 $87,658 $32,040 N/A Full ROI →
10 George Washington University

Grad rate: 85.0%

 DC +$827,486 $91,447 $80,727 N/A Full ROI →
11 San Francisco State University

Grad rate: 52.2%

 CA +$817,724 $85,412 $25,258 N/A Full ROI →
12 American University

Grad rate: 79.0%

 DC +$727,782 $85,544 $71,549 N/A Full ROI →
13 Columbia Southern University

Grad rate: 35.0%

 AL +$634,396 $75,520 $18,002 N/A Full ROI →
14 University of Pennsylvania

Grad rate: 96.5%

 PA +$630,064 $82,077 $85,738 N/A Full ROI →
15 National University

Grad rate: 44.0%

 CA +$626,748 $77,049 $37,116 N/A Full ROI →
16 Clemson University

Grad rate: 86.6%

 SC +$612,412 $76,070 $34,494 N/A Full ROI →
17 University of Hawaii at Manoa

Grad rate: 62.5%

 HI +$600,356 $74,401 $23,832 N/A Full ROI →
18 California State University-East Bay

Grad rate: 45.5%

 CA +$596,494 $74,105 $22,803 N/A Full ROI →
19 George Mason University

Grad rate: 69.9%

 VA +$585,976 $73,996 $26,972 N/A Full ROI →
20 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Grad rate: 72.8%

 NY +$584,718 $72,588 $13,521 N/A Full ROI →
21 California State University-Northridge

Grad rate: 56.1%

 CA +$574,806 $72,772 $20,317 N/A Full ROI →
22 University of Southern California

Grad rate: 92.2%

 CA +$569,904 $78,963 $84,678 N/A Full ROI →
23 New York University

Grad rate: 87.8%

 NY +$561,278 $77,976 $79,121 N/A Full ROI →
24 Columbia University in the City of New York

Grad rate: 95.1%

 NY +$555,516 $78,380 $86,042 N/A Full ROI →
25 Bowie State University

Grad rate: 39.1%

 MD +$542,016 $71,531 $24,302 N/A Full ROI →
26 Brigham Young University

Grad rate: 80.4%

 UT +$536,142 $70,895 $20,879 N/A Full ROI →
27 University of La Verne

Grad rate: 64.4%

 CA +$532,992 $74,806 $61,564 N/A Full ROI →
28 Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Grad rate: 27.4%

 AZ +$509,480 $67,474 N/A N/A Full ROI →
29 University of South Dakota

Grad rate: 59.4%

 SD +$502,472 $69,478 $23,544 N/A Full ROI →
30 California Baptist University

Grad rate: 61.2%

 CA +$492,304 $71,856 $52,408 N/A Full ROI →
31 University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Grad rate: 84.0%

 WA +$483,016 $69,179 $30,282 N/A Full ROI →
32 American Public University System

Grad rate: 54.3%

 WV +$480,764 $67,674 $16,358 N/A Full ROI →
33 Northwestern University

Grad rate: 96.2%

 IL +$471,072 $74,334 $87,804 N/A Full ROI →
34 California State University-Long Beach

Grad rate: 71.3%

 CA +$467,180 $67,390 $20,310 N/A Full ROI →
35 Marist University

Grad rate: 80.6%

 NY +$466,824 $71,731 $63,898 N/A Full ROI →
36 Portland State University

Grad rate: 52.9%

 OR +$456,402 $67,065 $22,449 N/A Full ROI →
37 California State University-San Bernardino

Grad rate: 54.5%

 CA +$454,760 $66,429 $16,910 N/A Full ROI →
38 Indiana University-Bloomington

Grad rate: 81.2%

 IN +$438,518 $66,662 $27,361 N/A Full ROI →
39 Hamline University

Grad rate: 63.4%

 MN +$433,404 $69,344 $56,738 N/A Full ROI →
40 University of Massachusetts-Boston

Grad rate: 51.1%

 MA +$430,284 $66,484 $29,698 N/A Full ROI →
41 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus

Grad rate: 77.1%

 NH +$429,286 $66,921 $34,567 N/A Full ROI →
42 Seattle University

Grad rate: 73.8%

 WA +$426,054 $70,166 $68,633 N/A Full ROI →
43 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus

Grad rate: 59.7%

 CT +$418,806 $65,032 $20,917 N/A Full ROI →
44 University of Connecticut-Avery Point

Grad rate: 57.8%

 CT +$417,434 $65,032 $21,603 N/A Full ROI →
45 University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Grad rate: 48.7%

 NV +$412,620 $64,575 $19,440 N/A Full ROI →
46 Texas State University

Grad rate: 56.0%

 TX +$410,664 $65,168 $26,348 N/A Full ROI →
47 University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus

Grad rate: 63.9%

 CT +$410,578 $65,032 $25,031 N/A Full ROI →
48 University of Rhode Island

Grad rate: 71.4%

 RI +$407,772 $65,647 $32,584 N/A Full ROI →
49 University of Connecticut-Stamford

Grad rate: 59.5%

 CT +$405,166 $65,032 $27,737 N/A Full ROI →
50 Indiana University-Northwest

Grad rate: 37.1%

 IN +$405,018 $63,588 $13,371 N/A Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Public Administration Degrees by State

Browse Public Administration programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.

Alabama Best Public Administration → Arizona Best Public Administration → Arkansas Best Public Administration → California Best Public Administration → Colorado Best Public Administration → Connecticut Best Public Administration → Delaware Best Public Administration → Florida Best Public Administration → Georgia Best Public Administration → Hawaii Best Public Administration → Idaho Best Public Administration → Illinois Best Public Administration → Indiana Best Public Administration → Iowa Best Public Administration → Kansas Best Public Administration → Kentucky Best Public Administration → Louisiana Best Public Administration → Maryland Best Public Administration → Massachusetts Best Public Administration → Michigan Best Public Administration → Minnesota Best Public Administration → Mississippi Best Public Administration → Missouri Best Public Administration → Montana Best Public Administration → Nebraska Best Public Administration → Nevada Best Public Administration → New Hampshire Best Public Administration → New Jersey Best Public Administration → New Mexico Best Public Administration → New York Best Public Administration → North Carolina Best Public Administration → Ohio Best Public Administration → Oklahoma Best Public Administration → Oregon Best Public Administration → Pennsylvania Best Public Administration → Rhode Island Best Public Administration → South Carolina Best Public Administration → South Dakota Best Public Administration → Tennessee Best Public Administration → Texas Best Public Administration → Utah Best Public Administration → Vermont Best Public Administration → Virginia Best Public Administration → Washington Best Public Administration → West Virginia Best Public Administration →