Public Administration · Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
How much do Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public Administration graduates earn?
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration earned a median $87,710 four years after graduating, 8% above the $81,408 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $69,773; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $41,000 in federal loans at this college (about $466 a month on a 10-year plan). The figure is reported for all 22 campuses that share Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's federal aid ID.
- Median earnings, 4 years after:
- $87,710
- National median, same program:
- $81,408
- Federal debt borrowed at this college (median):
- $41,000
- Monthly payment, 10-year plan:
- $466
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, master's in Public Administration. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. College Scorecard, 10 June 2026.
Quick answers
- What do Public Administration graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus earn?
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration earned a median $87,710 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much federal debt do Public Administration graduates of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus have?
- Graduates who borrowed took out a median $41,000 in federal loans at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
- How does Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus compare with the national median for Public Administration?
- $87,710 is 8% above the $81,408 national median for master's programs in the same field (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How does Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus compare with other Pennsylvania Public Administration programs?
- It is 5% below the $92,048 earned by graduates of the typical Pennsylvania master's program in the field (4 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Is a Public Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus worth it?
- Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts the figures side by side: Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration earned a median $87,710 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), and those who borrowed took out a median $41,000 in federal loans there, about $466 a month on a 10-year plan, roughly 6% of the median graduate's monthly earnings before tax (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Public Administration at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, by credential
One credential level has federal figures. Federal program group: Public Administration (CIP 44.04), which includes its related specialties.
| Credential | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | vs national | Debt borrowed at this college | Total debt incl. other colleges | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | — | $69,773 | $87,710 | +8% | $41,000 | — | $466/mo |
The one-year and four-year figures describe different graduating classes (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21 and 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23) in different dollars, so the gap between them is not one class's pay growth. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured.
What the two debt figures mean
Federal debt borrowed at this college: the median of the federal loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS) that graduates who borrowed took out at this college.
Total federal debt, including other colleges attended: the same graduates' federal loans from every college they attended, counting only loans at the same level as this credential (undergraduate loans for an undergraduate credential, graduate loans for a graduate one).
Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN. Monthly payment is for the debt borrowed at this college. Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation (September 2025), "Cumulative loan debt".
Cite this data
- Statistic
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration earned a median $87,710 four years after graduating, against a national median of $81,408 for the same program and credential. The figure covers all 22 campuses that share the college's federal aid ID.
- Data period
- Graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19 who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled; earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (125 graduates measured).
- Source
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data (release of 10 June 2026)
- Page
- https://campuspin.com/schools/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/programs/public-administration
- Suggested citation
- CampusPin (2026). Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public Administration: graduate earnings and debt. Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study, 10 June 2026. https://campuspin.com/schools/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/programs/public-administration
Or paste these figures into your page as a small table (departments, admissions, counselors)
Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: each credential's figure with its period and source, and one link back to this page.
How does Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus compare with other Pennsylvania Public Administration programs?
Across the 4 Pennsylvania master's programs in Public Administration with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $92,048; Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's $87,710 is 5% below that.
| College (master's) | Earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $104,073 | $83,208 | $41,000 |
| Villanova University | $96,385 | $72,577 | $38,458 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (this college) | $87,710 | $69,773 | $41,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $84,419 | $66,915 | $40,772 |
All 4 Pennsylvania programs, ordered by one federal measure (median earnings four years after graduating), not a ranking of program quality. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed.
Every Public Administration program in Pennsylvania. Compare Public Administration programs and share the result
What the new federal loan limits mean for this graduate program
For loans first disbursed on or after 1 July 2026, new graduate borrowers can take at most $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total in federal loans, or $50,000 and $200,000 in programs the Department treats as professional (Federal Student Aid, May 2026). Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration borrowed a median $41,000 under the old rules. Which graduate programs' typical debt is over the new caps.
Questions about Public Administration at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
- How much do Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public Administration graduates earn?
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration earned a median $87,710 four years after graduating, 8% above the $81,408 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $69,773; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $41,000 in federal loans at this college (about $466 a month on a 10-year plan). The figure is reported for all 22 campuses that share Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's federal aid ID.
- How much student debt do Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public Administration graduates have?
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's master's graduates in Public Administration who borrowed took out a median $41,000 in federal loans at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, about $466 a month on a standard 10-year plan (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, College Scorecard). Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN.
- How does Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's Public Administration program compare with others in Pennsylvania?
- Across the 4 Pennsylvania master's programs in Public Administration with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $92,048; Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's $87,710 is 5% below that.
Keep going
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus: cost, admissions and every program
- Public Administration major guide: what it pays nationally
- Same degree, different paycheck: how much the college matters
- What does Public Administration pay at other colleges?
Jobs Public Administration graduates often go into
From the Public Administrationmajor guide. Graduates spread across many jobs; these pay figures are for everyone in the job, not for this program's graduates.
Other programs at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus with graduate earnings
- Agricultural Science
- Animal Science
- Food Science
- Conservation Science
- Architecture
- Communications
- Journalism
- Special Education
- Aerospace Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- English & Literature
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Recreation Management
- Meteorology
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
- Anthropology
- Economics
- International Relations
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Nursing
- Practical Nursing
- Business Administration
- Accounting
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Hospitality Management
- Human Resource Management
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- History
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. The Department reports these figures for all 22 campuses that share Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's federal aid ID, not for one campus alone. Earnings reflect who enrolls, where graduates live and the jobs they take, as well as the program itself. Download every program (CSV).
Data sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the Department of Education's College Scorecard field-of-study file, matched to Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus by its federal UNITID.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
Program-level median earnings one and four years after completing, and median federal loan debt at completion, by institution, 4-digit CIP field and credential level.
College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation
How the field-of-study cohorts are built, which graduates are counted, and how small cells are suppressed and perturbed for privacy.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (10 June 2026). Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public Administration: graduate earnings and debt. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/programs/public-administration