Public Administration: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Public Administration is a rigorous academic discipline focused on the effective governance and management of public institutions at local, state, and federal levels. It equips students with the strategic, analytical, and ethical frameworks needed to lead complex governmental operations in service of the public good.
- Principles of Public Administration: Explores the foundational theories, historical evolution, and core functions of governmental management, emphasizing efficiency, accountability, and responsiveness.
- Public Policy Management: Focuses on the development, implementation, evaluation, and reform of public policies across diverse societal domains such as health, education, and environmental regulation.
- Executive-Legislative Relations: Examines the dynamics, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms between executive leadership and legislative bodies in shaping public governance.
- Public Budgeting and Financial Management: Covers fiscal planning, resource allocation, budget formulation, performance-based budgeting, and financial accountability in public sector organizations.
- Administrative Law: Investigates the legal frameworks governing administrative actions, regulatory processes, and the rights and responsibilities of public agencies and citizens.
- Public Personnel Management: Addresses human resource strategies in government, including recruitment, performance evaluation, labor relations, and leadership development in public workforce settings.
- Professional Ethics in Government: Engages with ethical decision-making, integrity, transparency, and accountability in public service to uphold trust and institutional credibility.
- Research Methods in Public Administration: Develops skills in quantitative and qualitative research, data analysis, and evidence-based policy evaluation to inform effective governance.
Public Administration Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Public Administration Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Public Administration degrees, including Chief Executives, Managers, All Other and General and Operations Managers. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 4,876,060 professionals.
National Average Salaries
Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Executives 11-1011 | $206,420 | $73,710 - $239,200 | 211,850 | $99.24 |
Managers, All Other 11-9199 | $136,550 | $68,860 - $227,590 | 630,980 | $65.65 |
General and Operations Managers 11-1021 | $102,950 | $47,420 - $239,200 | 3,584,420 | $49.50 |
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 11-3071 | $102,010 | $61,200 - $180,590 | 213,000 | $49.05 |
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents 11-9131 | $92,730 | $81,430 - $109,140 | 13,810 | $44.58 |
Social and Community Service Managers 11-9151 | $78,240 | $50,020 - $129,820 | 195,490 | $37.61 |
Legislators 11-1031 | $44,810 | $20,380 - $137,820 | 26,510 | N/A |
Public Administration Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $79,820 in Arkansas to $164,454 in District of Columbia—a 106% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, Washington, and Massachusetts. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 4,876,060 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Public Administration by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Public Administration programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Public Administration is found at Indiana University (IUB), Bloomington (556 graduates), Columbia University in the City of New York (409 graduates), Harvard University (263 graduates), New York University (NYU) (262 graduates), and Syracuse University (237 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 9,699 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
556 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
Columbia University in the City of New York |
Master's
|
409 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
Harvard University |
Master's
|
263 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
New York University (NYU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
262 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
237 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
Liberty University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
230 | Lynchburg, Virginia | Private | liberty.edu |
University of Phoenix (UOPX) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
228 | Phoenix, Arizona | Private | phoenix.edu |
Walden University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
202 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Private | waldenu.edu |
Grand Canyon University (GCU) |
Master's
|
173 | Phoenix, Arizona | Private | gcu.edu |
California State University (CSUN) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
173 | Northridge, California | Public | csun.edu |
Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
171 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
170 | New York, New York | Public | baruch.cuny.edu |
University of Pennsylvania (Penn) |
Master's
|
169 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | upenn.edu |
University of Southern California (USC) |
Master's
|
168 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
American University (AU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
162 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | american.edu |
Columbia Southern University (CSU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
160 | Orange Beach, Alabama | Private | columbiasouthern.edu |
University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
158 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
Texas A & M University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
153 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
University of Washington (UW) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
148 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
145 | New York, New York | Public | jjay.cuny.edu |
Florida International University (FIU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
139 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
California State University (CSUDH) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
133 | Carson, California | Public | csudh.edu |
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
132 | Denver, Colorado | Public | ucdenver.edu |
Western Carolina University (WCU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
130 | Cullowhee, North Carolina | Public | wcu.edu |
Cornell University |
Master's
|
129 | Ithaca, New York | Private | cornell.edu |
The University of Texas |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
128 | Arlington, Texas | Public | uta.edu |
Florida State University (FSU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
104 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
George Mason University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
100 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
San Diego State University (SDSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
99 | San Diego, California | Public | sdsu.edu |
Barry University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
98 | Miami, Florida | Private | barry.edu |
California State University (CSUSB) |
Master's
|
97 | San Bernardino, California | Public | csusb.edu |
University of Hawaii (UHWO) |
Bachelor's
|
92 | Kapolei, Hawaii | Public | westoahu.hawaii.edu |
Indiana University (IU Indianapolis) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
|
90 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Public | indianapolis.iu.edu |
California State University (CSULB) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
89 | Long Beach, California | Public | csulb.edu |
University of Oregon (UO) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
85 | Eugene, Oregon | Public | uoregon.edu |
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
84 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
Northeastern University (NU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
84 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | northeastern.edu |
Northwestern University |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
83 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
American Public University System (APUS) |
Master's
|
82 | Charles Town, West Virginia | Private | apus.edu |
National University (NU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
81 | San Diego, California | Private | nu.edu |
Rutgers University |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
79 | Newark, New Jersey | Public | newark.rutgers.edu |
University of Missouri (Mizzou) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
77 | Columbia, Missouri | Public | missouri.edu |
University at Albany (UAlbany) |
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
77 | Albany, New York | Public | albany.edu |
University of Georgia (UGA) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
73 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
Anna Maria College |
Master's
|
72 | Paxton, Massachusetts | Private | annamaria.edu |
Arkansas State University (A-State) |
Master's
|
71 | Jonesboro, Arkansas | Public | astate.edu |
Pennsylvania State University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
70 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | worldcampus.psu.edu |
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
69 | Boca Raton, Florida | Public | fau.edu |
University of Kansas (KU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
69 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
Bachelor's
|
69 | Adelphi, Maryland | Public | umgc.edu |
Texas State University (TXST) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
69 | San Marcos, Texas | Public | txst.edu |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
68 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) |
Master's
|
65 | Edinburg, Texas | Public | utrgv.edu |
Purdue University Global |
Master's
|
65 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdueglobal.edu |
Park University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
64 | Parkville, Missouri | Private | park.edu |
University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
63 | Springfield, Illinois | Public | uis.edu |
The University of Texas (UTSA) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
63 | San Antonio, Texas | Public | utsa.edu |
Binghamton University |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
62 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Master's
|
62 | Provo, Utah | Private | byu.edu |
George Washington University (GW) |
Master's
|
60 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | gwu.edu |
The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
60 | Richardson, Texas | Public | utdallas.edu |
Franklin University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
58 | Columbus, Ohio | Private | franklin.edu |
Tarleton State University (TSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
58 | Stephenville, Texas | Public | tarleton.edu |
California State University (CSUF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
57 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
University of Utah (U of U) |
Master's
|
57 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU Metro) |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
55 | Teaneck, New Jersey | Private | fdu.edu |
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) |
Master's
|
55 | Durham, North Carolina | Public | nccu.edu |
University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
55 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
James Madison University (JMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
55 | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Public | jmu.edu |
University of Connecticut (UConn) |
Master's
|
52 | Storrs, Connecticut | Public | uconn.edu |
Marist College |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
52 | Poughkeepsie, New York | Private | marist.edu |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Master's
|
52 | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Public | unc.edu |
Auburn University (AU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
51 | Auburn, Alabama | Public | auburn.edu |
Missouri State University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
51 | Springfield, Missouri | Public | missouristate.edu |
University of Rhode Island (URI) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
51 | Kingston, Rhode Island | Public | web.uri.edu |
University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
50 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
50 | Allendale, Michigan | Public | gvsu.edu |
University of Nebraska (UNO) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
50 | Omaha, Nebraska | Public | unomaha.edu |
Villanova University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
50 | Villanova, Pennsylvania | Private | villanova.edu |
Suffolk University |
Master's
|
48 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | suffolk.edu |
Central Michigan University (CMU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
48 | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | Public | cmich.edu |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
48 | West Chester, Pennsylvania | Public | wcupa.edu |
Southern Utah University (SUU) |
Master's
|
46 | Cedar City, Utah | Public | suu.edu |
California Baptist University (CBU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
45 | Riverside, California | Private | calbaptist.edu |
California State University (CSUB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Bakersfield, California | Public | csub.edu |
Clark University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Private | clarku.edu |
North Carolina State University (NC State) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
45 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | ncsu.edu |
Capella University |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
45 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Private | capella.edu |
California State University (CSUEB) |
Master's
|
44 | Hayward, California | Public | csueastbay.edu |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
44 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
Northern Arizona University (NAU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
43 | Flagstaff, Arizona | Public | nau.edu |
Clemson University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
42 | Clemson, South Carolina | Public | clemson.edu |
Lipscomb University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
42 | Nashville, Tennessee | Private | lipscomb.edu |
Texas Southern University (TSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
42 | Houston, Texas | Public | tsu.edu |
Old Dominion University (ODU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
42 | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | odu.edu |
University of La Verne |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
41 | La Verne, California | Private | laverne.edu |
Wichita State University (WSU) |
Master's
Post-Master's
|
41 | Wichita, Kansas | Public | wichita.edu |
Kean University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
41 | Union, New Jersey | Public | kean.edu |
Troy University (TROY) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
40 | Troy, Alabama | Public | troy.edu |
Valdosta State University (VSU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Professional)
|
40 | Valdosta, Georgia | Public | valdosta.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Public Administration programs
How much can I earn with a Public Administration degree?
Salaries for Public Administration graduates vary by role and location. Chief Executives earn a median of $206,420 annually, while Managers, All Other earn around $136,550. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $164,454 compared to $79,820 in Arkansas. Approximately 4,876,060 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Public Administration programs?
Currently 426 accredited institutions offer Public Administration degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Indiana University (IUB), Bloomington (556 graduates), Columbia University in the City of New York (409 graduates), and Harvard University (263 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Public Administration growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 14,539 in 2010 to a peak of 17,270 in 2020, before declining slightly to 13,898 in 2023-24. This represents a 4% decrease overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Public Administration degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Chief Executives, Managers, All Other, and General and Operations Managers. Related occupations employ approximately 4,876,060 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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