Master's+33% vs national median1,032 grads tracked
Public Administration and Social Service Professions at University of South Dakota
Ranked 19th of 180 master's programs in Public Administration and Social Service Professions by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$73,190
middle 50%: $55,067 – $98,712
Median · 5 years out
$87,051
middle 50%: $64,999 – $112,446
Median · 10 years out
$99,460
middle 50%: $71,793 – $132,885
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Public Administration and Social Service Professions (master's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
The University of South Dakota offers master's degrees in Public Administration with a $73k median starting salary. Salaries hit $99k by the tenth year.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
4.4 yrs
≈ $4,704 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of Texas at Dallas
$92,196 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts at Boston
$92,187 · 5 yrs out
Penn State World Campus
$91,987 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
$91,476 · 5 yrs out
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
$89,278 · 5 yrs out
Georgia Institute of Technology
$88,072 · 5 yrs out
Sam Houston State University
$87,772 · 5 yrs out
Kent State University
$84,962 · 5 yrs out
Texas A&M University
$84,719 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas of the Permian Basin
$84,083 · 5 yrs out
University of North Texas
$82,569 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
$82,528 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of South Dakota
Medicine (Doctorate)
$232,751 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$136,818 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's)
$116,358 · 5 yrs out
Psychology (Doctorate)
$107,201 · 5 yrs out
Education (Doctorate)
$95,450 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$95,189 · 5 yrs out
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctorate)
$89,791 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$89,516 · 5 yrs out
Legal Professions and Studies (Doctorate)
$83,134 · 5 yrs out
Law (Doctorate)
$83,134 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)
$77,249 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Master's)
$77,188 · 5 yrs out