University of Arizona Public Administration: earnings, debt & careers

Public Administration graduates of University of Arizona earn a median $64,953 four years after graduating ($39,136 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,000. That is $3,402 above the U.S. median for Public Administration graduates ($61,551 across 44 colleges), and ranks 1st of 2 Arizona colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$64,953

U.S. median for this major: $61,551.

College Scorecard field of study; 71 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$39,136

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,000

About 32% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $21,686.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,674 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $29,423. College Scorecard.

UA Public Administration: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UA graduates$64,953

Fewer than 3 Arizona colleges report earnings for this major, so there is no state median.

U.S. median (44 colleges)$61,551 (+$3,402)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Public Administration nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses UA's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$13,353$57,2842.0 years
$30–48k$14,984$64,2812.3 years
$48–75k$16,051$68,8592.4 years
$75–110k$19,777$84,8433.0 years
$110k+$22,307$95,6973.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Public Administration graduates 4 years after graduating ($64,953) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AZ (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $28,292 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Public Administration at Arizona colleges

Every Arizona college we cover that reports Public Administration graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Arizona$64,953$21,000$16,67468%
2Northern Arizona University$52,834—$14,15861%

Careers for Public Administration graduates

General and Operations Managers

Tucson area$83,610
Arizona$94,800
U.S.$105,770

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Construction Managers

Tucson area$98,740
Arizona$114,680
U.S.$114,990

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Social and Community Service Managers

Tucson area$74,260
Arizona$77,550
U.S.$80,390

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at UA, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About UA

Related majors at UA

UA Public Administration questions

How much do UA Public Administration graduates earn?

Public Administration graduates of University of Arizona earn a median $64,953 four years after graduating and $39,136 one year after. The U.S. median for Public Administration graduates across 44 colleges is $61,551.

How much debt do UA Public Administration graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Public Administration graduates of University of Arizona is $21,000, about 32% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $21,686.

Where does UA rank for Public Administration in Arizona?

Of 2 Arizona colleges reporting Public Administration graduate earnings, University of Arizona ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Public Administration graduates get?

A common career is general and operations managers, with a median wage of $83,610 in the Tucson, AZ area and $105,770 nationally. Others include construction managers and social and community service managers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “University of Arizona Public Administration: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-arizona/majors/public-administration (College Scorecard and BLS data).