Master's · Orange Beach, Alabama
Is Public Administration at Columbia Southern University worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 3 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $83,267
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $79,970
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $39,442
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published)
- $42k (likely $42k – $42k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $21k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in AL
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 3 years (likely 2.2–4.4)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $15k (likely −$49k – $87k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $190k (likely $68k – $327k)
- Today's dollars
Change income, residency or loans Compare Public Administration at other schools
Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.
Other majors at Columbia Southern University
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Doctoral)$134,402
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Master's)$99,847
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's)$95,774
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's)$94,480
- Homeland Security (Master's)$93,851
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Undergraduate certificate)$89,203
- Fire Protection (Bachelor's)$88,735
- Fire Protection (Associate's)$88,114
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Associate's)$87,340
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate certificate)$84,636
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's)$81,292
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$79,103
Public Administration at other schools in Alabama
- Troy University$70,721
- Jacksonville State University$67,184
- Strayer University-Alabama$62,227
- Auburn University$62,091
- University of Alabama at Birmingham$61,916
- University of South Alabama$55,734
- South University-Montgomery$47,649
- The University of Alabama$40,120