How much do Public Policy Analysis master's degree graduates from American University earn?

The reported median is $98,588 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

Federal debt is not reported for this cohort.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 6% above the national median for the same field and degree level.

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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Public Policy Analysis master's degree at American University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$5,568 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff: $222,940 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff: Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data: College-wide context only

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+58%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$67,929 → $107,080

Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

23Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

68Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential

Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential

NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

132Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

51Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

94Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

71Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion

Preliminary federal earnings benchmarkNot availableInformational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$98,588A like-for-like comparison is unavailable

Additional borrowing reported for this category: Parent PLUS not reported · 30 Grad PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

GRADUATE-DEGREE BASELINE

$98,588 vs. $73,721

$24,867 above the national bachelor’s median in the same field.

Comparison basis34 bachelor’s program records

This is a cross-cohort benchmark, not the salary increase caused by earning this graduate credential. Your current earnings remain the correct baseline for personal ROI.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$41,943

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$98,588

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$41,943Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$76,058Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE62.0%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE75.5%Institution-wide completion rate

WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$67,929Year 1

$98,588Year 4

$107,080Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$8,216

Estimated loan paymentNot available

Not availableborrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$98,588 vs. $93,020

$5,568 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median

WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.

Social Science Research Assistants$65,330 median wageDC estimate · 1,560 jobs · 19-4061$56,830–$81,420 middle 50% of DC wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$102,310 median wageDC estimate · 1,120 jobs · 25-1065$80,290–$127,550 middle 50% of DC wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreePolitical Scientists$152,530 median wageDC estimate · 3,070 jobs · 19-3094$128,610–$180,480 middle 50% of DC wages-2.0% projected U.S. growth · 400 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$128,440 median wageDC estimate · 2,480 jobs · 19-3099$104,770–$152,730 middle 50% of DC wages-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 2,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeHealth Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$167,520 median wageDC estimate · 1,460 jobs · 25-1071$101,730–$217,750 middle 50% of DC wages+17.9% projected U.S. growth · 24,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeMedical and Health Services Managers$155,140 median wageDC estimate · 2,010 jobs · 11-9111$122,820–$189,950 middle 50% of DC wages+24.2% projected U.S. growth · 62,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEducation Teachers, Postsecondary$80,810 median wageDC estimate · 230 jobs · 25-1081$64,800–$104,330 middle 50% of DC wages+2.5% projected U.S. growth · 5,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeLegislatorsNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 11-1031NO MATCHNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 99-9999

Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Washington, DC

Georgetown University

$12,046 higher earnings · $1,128 lower annual net price

Earnings: $110,634
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $40,815

View outcomes →

Washington, DC

George Washington University

$5,357 lower annual net price

Earnings: $94,862
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $36,586

View outcomes →

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

$31,390 higher earnings · $22,877 lower annual net price

Earnings: $129,978
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $19,066

View outcomes →

Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

$21,575 higher earnings · $35,815 lower annual net price

Earnings: $120,163
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $6,128

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

68 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

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