Best Public Administration Colleges in Missouri (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 14 colleges in Missouri that report a Public Administration earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Public Administration graduates four years after completing, highest first. Saint Louis University ranks 1st with median earnings of $56,306 after completing.
Across the 12 schools with a reported completion median, earnings range from $56,306 to $20,140, with a median of $48,320. For 1 of the 14 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 8 public and 6 private nonprofit institutions. University of Missouri-Columbia ranks 144th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
College of the Ozarks posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $6,100.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Public Administration Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO | $56,306 | $24,398 | $22,501 | 75.0% |
| Saint Louis University reports $56,306 in median earnings for its Public Administration graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate of 80% is the highest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (22 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $56,157 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| A public university in Columbia, University of Missouri-Columbia ranks 2nd on this list and posts an average net price of $20,268 alongside a six-year completion rate of 75%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (17 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($56,157) | |||||
| 3 | Lindenwood University · Saint Charles, MO | $53,359 | $19,638 | $15,678 | 56.8% |
| Lindenwood University admits 57% of applicants and its Public Administration graduates earn a median of $53,359 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (9 graduates) | |||||
| 4 | University of Missouri-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $52,337 | $15,071 | $13,031 | 62.7% |
| University of Missouri-St Louis shows an average net price of $15,071 and its Public Administration graduates earn a median of $52,337 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (74 graduates), Public Administration (7 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($52,337) | |||||
| 5 | University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO | $51,349 | $14,462 | $10,965 | 63.8% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 54%, University of Central Missouri reports median earnings of $51,349 for its Public Administration graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (33 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($51,349) | |||||
| 6 | Missouri Southern State University · Joplin, MO | $49,855 | $12,007 | $9,759 | 97.0% |
| A six-year completion rate of 42% and an average net price of $12,007 coincide at Missouri Southern State University, a public institution in Joplin. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (21 graduates), Public Policy Analysis (7 graduates) | |||||
| 7 | Columbia College · Columbia, MO | $46,785 | $22,715 | $23,967 | Not reported |
| Columbia College posts an average net price of $22,715 and its Public Administration graduates earn a median of $46,785 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Human Services, General (103 graduates), Public Administration (8 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Human Services, General ($46,785) | |||||
| 8 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $46,403 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield reports median earnings of $46,403 for its Public Administration graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate stands at 58%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (38 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($46,403) | |||||
| 9 | Missouri Western State University · Saint Joseph, MO | $46,187 | $13,251 | $11,243 | Not reported |
| An average net price of $11,243 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a six-year completion rate of 39% at Missouri Western State University. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (16 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($46,187) | |||||
| 10 | Southeast Missouri State University · Cape Girardeau, MO | $43,260 | $15,882 | $12,704 | 73.5% |
| Southeast Missouri State University admits 74% of applicants and its Public Administration graduates earn a median of $43,260 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($43,260) | |||||
| 11 | Missouri Baptist University · Saint Louis, MO | $41,036 | $27,006 | $21,808 | 68.6% |
| Missouri Baptist University ranks 11th on this list and posts an average net price of $27,006. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Human Services, General (6 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Human Services, General ($41,036) | |||||
| 12 | Lincoln University · Jefferson City, MO | $32,951 | $19,092 | $20,070 | Not reported |
| Lincoln University reports a six-year completion rate of 21% and an average net price of $20,070 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (13 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | College of the Ozarks · Point Lookout, MO | $32,701 | $6,100 | $6,381 | 12.0% |
| College of the Ozarks, a private nonprofit college in Point Lookout, admits 12% of applicants and reports an average net price of $6,100. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (10 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | Evangel University · Springfield, MO | $20,140 | $18,669 | $16,198 | 71.6% |
| Evangel University posts median earnings of $20,140 for its Public Administration graduates two years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 65%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (12 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Public Administration graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure covers federally aided completers of Public Administration who were working and not enrolled after completing. For 1 of the 14 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 12 schools with a reported completion median. The gap between Saint Louis University and University of Missouri-Columbia is $149, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $36,166.
Job market context in Missouri
Public Administration graduates in Missouri enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Child, Family, and School Social Workers, Social and Human Service Assistants, and Healthcare Social Workers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $63,791, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $49,246. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 6.0% higher, with 14,380 projected openings a year, or about 2,678 openings a year for every hundred graduates, meaning more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.