Public Administration and Social Service Professions at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Looking at comparable Public Administration programs nationally, this degree path suggests estimated first-year earnings around $44,600—modest but fairly typical for public service careers. What's more encouraging is the debt picture: at $33,510, graduates here are borrowing more than the national median for this field ($27,000), but that 0.75 debt-to-earnings ratio still falls within manageable territory. Most financial advisors consider anything under 1.0 reasonable for a bachelor's degree, meaning graduates earning this amount could theoretically pay off their loans within a year of income.

The caveat worth understanding: these earnings estimates come from just seven programs nationwide that reported data, so there's real uncertainty here. Public administration salaries can vary dramatically based on whether graduates enter government work, nonprofit management, or social services—and whether they stay in Denver's relatively higher cost-of-living market. The field often rewards graduate degrees and years of experience more than strong starting salaries, which means that initial $44,600 figure may not tell the full story of long-term earnings potential.

For families considering this path, the key question is whether your student is committed to public service work specifically. The debt load here isn't alarming, but it's meaningful enough that pivoting to a different career path after graduation could feel constraining. If they're certain about working in government or nonprofits, this represents a reasonable investment. If they're still exploring, programs with either lower debt loads or higher earning potential might leave more room for career discovery.