Master's · Tampa, Florida
Is Public Administration at University of South Florida worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $77,370
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $67,095
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $40,968
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published)
- $43k (likely $43k – $43k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $3k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in FL
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$175k (likely −$274k – −$44k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$179k (likely −$381k – $77k)
- 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 University of South Florida
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Doctoral)$200,931
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral)$127,778
- Engineering-Related Fields (Master's)$127,663
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$116,242
- Computer Systems Analysis (Master's)$115,356
- Homeland Security (Master's)$114,398
- Public Health (Doctoral)$113,870
- Psychology, General (Doctoral)$113,606
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$112,594
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$109,054
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's)$102,978
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$102,275
Public Administration at other schools in Florida
- Florida Gulf Coast University$85,052
- Barry University$81,625
- Florida State University$79,921
- Florida International University$79,414
- University of Central Florida$79,043
- Florida Atlantic University$73,084
- Nova Southeastern University$71,298
- University of North Florida$67,442
- University of Miami$67,404
- Lynn University$65,210