Public Administration and Social Service Professions at University of Maryland Global Campus

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61 suggests this program could work financially—similar bachelor's programs in public administration nationally produce first-year earnings around $45,000 against typical debt loads of $27,000. That's manageable territory where graduates generally can handle their loan payments, though not with much cushion. For context, ratios under 1.0 are considered reasonable, and this falls comfortably below that threshold.

The challenge here is that you're working with almost no visibility. As the only Maryland school reporting this specific program, and with both earnings and debt figures estimated from national peer programs, you can't know whether University of Maryland Global Campus actually delivers outcomes in line with these benchmarks. The national data suggests public administration degrees typically lead to steady government or nonprofit work rather than high salaries, so the $45,000 estimate tracks with the field. But whether this online program—designed for working adults—produces similar results for its graduates is an open question.

If your child is already working in government or social services and needs the credential for advancement, this could make sense as a career investment. But as a fresh bachelor's degree for a traditional student, you're betting on outcomes you can't verify. Before committing, push the school for concrete placement rates and typical graduate employers—information that should exist even if the federal data doesn't capture it.