Public Administration at Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies

The debt estimate here—$30,167 for a bachelor's in public administration—sits notably above the national median of $23,626 for this field, while earnings projections hover right at the national mark of around $45,000. That's a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67, which means graduates would owe roughly eight months of their first-year salary. For context, programs at the 75th percentile nationally produce $56,445 in first-year earnings, suggesting that public administration outcomes vary considerably depending on where you go and what connections you build.

With nearly 60% of students receiving Pell grants, Drury's continuing education college serves many students for whom this degree could represent meaningful career advancement—particularly mid-career adults moving into government or nonprofit management roles. But that elevated debt figure matters more when you're starting at $45,000 rather than $55,000. These estimates come from peer programs nationally since Drury's cohort was too small to report separately, meaning actual outcomes could differ based on local job markets and the school's specific employer relationships in Springfield and Missouri's public sector.

The practical question: Can someone earning $45,000 manage a $30,000 loan while building toward better-paying management positions? Public administration careers often grow steadily rather than spike early, so the initial debt burden needs to be manageable enough to weather those first few years. Given the uncertainty in these estimates, getting specific placement data from Drury's program would help determine whether their graduates actually land the government and nonprofit roles that justify this investment.