{
  "major": "Public Administration",
  "slug": "public-administration",
  "field": "Business & Economics",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-public-administration-schools/",
  "source": "U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2026 release); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
  "metric_definitions": {
    "median_earnings": "Median earnings one year after graduation (Scorecard)",
    "net_price": "Average annual cost of attendance after grant aid. For PUBLIC schools this reflects IN-STATE cost; out-of-state students pay more.",
    "roi_10yr_usd": "Ten years of earnings minus four years of net price",
    "public": "true = public university (net_price is in-state basis); false = private (residency-neutral)"
  },
  "total_colleges_with_reported_data": 43,
  "shown": 25,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "Barry University",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 103107,
      "net_price": 22613,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 940618,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "California State University-Northridge",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 76049,
      "net_price": 7021,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 732406,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 48881,
      "net_price": 3203,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 475998,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "Upper Iowa University",
      "state": "IA",
      "median_earnings": 61104,
      "net_price": 20942,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 527272,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "George Mason University",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 56674,
      "net_price": 17915,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 495080,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "California State University-Dominguez Hills",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 45471,
      "net_price": 8615,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 420250,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "Western Carolina University",
      "state": "NC",
      "median_earnings": 56445,
      "net_price": 13315,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 511190,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "Indiana University-Bloomington",
      "state": "IN",
      "median_earnings": 47013,
      "net_price": 16264,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 405074,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Florida Atlantic University",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 46047,
      "net_price": 8752,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 425462,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "Florida International University",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 46281,
      "net_price": 9288,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 425658,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "CUNY Bernard M Baruch College",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 37792,
      "net_price": 3033,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 365788,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "National University",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 77077,
      "net_price": 22878,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 679258,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "Indiana University-Indianapolis",
      "state": "IN",
      "median_earnings": 43110,
      "net_price": 11668,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 384428,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "University of Maryland Global Campus",
      "state": "MD",
      "median_earnings": 74053,
      "net_price": 22063,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 652278,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "Kean University",
      "state": "NJ",
      "median_earnings": 45850,
      "net_price": 12447,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 408712,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-Whitewater",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 44951,
      "net_price": 14158,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 392878,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "California State University-Fullerton",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 36626,
      "net_price": 6555,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 340040,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "James Madison University",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 48396,
      "net_price": 23322,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 390672,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "St Petersburg College",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 42735,
      "net_price": 1471,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 421466,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "CUNY Medgar Evers College",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 43317,
      "net_price": 5718,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 410298,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "school": "University of Hawaii-West Oahu",
      "state": "HI",
      "median_earnings": 42481,
      "net_price": 10327,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 383502,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "school": "Ohio State University-Main Campus",
      "state": "OH",
      "median_earnings": 41650,
      "net_price": 17339,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 347144,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "school": "California State University-San Bernardino",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 36969,
      "net_price": 4564,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 351434,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "school": "California Baptist University",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 68682,
      "net_price": 26285,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 581680,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 25,
      "school": "Syracuse University",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 53912,
      "net_price": 38793,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 383948,
      "public": false
    }
  ]
}