Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other

33
Schools
Master's
Credential Level
$67,935
National Avg Earnings

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other is tracked across 33 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the master's credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.

Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $67,935, calculated from 12 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $36,668 at the low end to $140,115 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $50,439 and $84,516 around a median of $70,135. The top-reporting institution in this program is University of Southern California at $140,115. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.

Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock accounts for 26.1% of all Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other master's credential graduates

That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share — means Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 31 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other master's credential median earnings varies 3.8× across entities

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other master's credential median earnings ranges from $36,668 (lowest) to $140,115 (highest), a spread of $103,447. That spread reflects typical sectoral variation between selective research institutions and broader access institutions. Earnings are measured roughly one year after completion using IRS records linked to federal aid recipients (see https://www.irs.gov/) — not all completers are captured, but the school-level medians correlate strongly with longer-term earnings trajectories.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file; U.S. Treasury earnings linkage College Scorecard Field of Study file; U.S. Treasury earnings linkage

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other master's credential median debt varies 2.0× across entities

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other master's credential median debt ranges from $25,446 (lowest) to $51,250 (highest), a spread of $25,804. That spread reflects typical institutional cost differences — public in-state, public out-of-state, and private school financing models produce predictable spreads. Median debt counts only those students who borrowed federal loans — students who paid out-of-pocket or received institutional grants are excluded from the borrower median, which can flatter low-debt schools.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file; IPEDS financial aid data College Scorecard Field of Study file; IPEDS financial aid data

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.55 — near the typical range (US average ~1) — aligned with the typical 1:1 ratio that defines federal gainful-employment thresholds

debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Variation between sub-units within Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other is typically wider than the Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file College Scorecard Field of Study file

Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other operates only 33 institutions offer this program — among the most consolidated governance structures in the country

Most Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other institutions offer this program are specialty-program scarcity that concentrates national supply in a small set of institutions — graduates often command stronger employer attention because the talent pool is structurally narrower. Consolidation produces narrower variance because resources pool across larger populations, but it can also mask intra-institutions offer this program inequities — sub-institutions offer this program differences within a single institutions offer this program are not visible at this aggregation level. Consolidated systems typically rely more heavily on top-down funding formulas than on local revenue variability.

Source: IPEDS Completions Survey IPEDS Completions Survey

Earnings Distribution

Min
$36,668
25th %ile
$50,439
Median
$70,135
75th %ile
$84,516
Max
$140,115
$36,668 $140,115

Top Schools for This Program

School Name State Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
University of Southern California CA 29 $140,115 $51,250
Jacksonville State University AL $85,299 $35,900
California State University-Fullerton CA $84,516
St. Joseph's University-New York NY 13 $78,677 $39,275
George Mason University VA 7 $74,576
University of Arkansas at Little Rock AR 31 $70,135 $25,446
Ball State University IN 19 $55,296
Missouri State University-Springfield MO $52,107
Marquette University WI 7 $50,439
Tufts University MA 13 $49,863
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus PR $37,523 $40,580
Capella University MN 0 $36,668

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other graduates earn?
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other graduates earn $67,935 on average across 33 schools. Earnings range from $36,668 to $140,115 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other?
University of Southern California has the highest reported median earnings for Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other graduates at $140,115, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other?
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other programs typically award a Master's credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.

About This Data

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching protocol used by the College Scorecard.