Public Administration at University of Phoenix-Arizona

University of Phoenix's Public Administration program carries debt levels that exceed nearly every comparable program in the country—just 5% of similar programs nationwide require students to borrow more. At $45,656, that's roughly double the debt load at competing Arizona schools. Yet graduates earn $61,790 in their first year, which substantially outpaces both the national median ($45,278) and Arizona's state median ($50,463). This creates an unusual dynamic: you're paying premium online education prices but getting above-average results.

The concerning part is what happens next. Earnings remain essentially flat between year one and year four, suggesting limited advancement potential. While the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 is manageable—graduates earn enough to reasonably service their loans—it's not the trajectory most parents envision when taking on significant debt. Compare this to University of Arizona's Public Administration program, where graduates start at $39,136 with presumably lower debt, and the value question becomes murkier.

For a student already working in public service who needs the flexibility of online education and can leverage the degree for immediate salary bumps, this could work. But for a traditional student considering public administration as a career path, the combination of high debt and stagnant earnings means you're essentially paying off a premium loan package for a decade while your salary stays put. That $45,656 in debt needs to translate into career mobility that isn't showing up in these four-year numbers.