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Public Administration · Public Policy Rank #39 of 45

Public Policyat Syracuse University

Graduates earn $53,912/yr in their first year — about 9.0% above the national Public Policy average. Base-case 10-year earnings $641K; scenarios range from $575K to $657K depending on AI disruption.

Syracuse, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
57 SOLID
58
Optimistic
53
Pessimistic
Earnings
$53,912
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.0x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$641K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Syracuse University

Syracuse University's Public Policy graduates start at $53,912/yr — above the $49,353 national average, though not by a wide margin.

An earnings multiple of 2.5x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 47% task exposure — and the 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $26,000 in median debt clears quickly against $53,912 in annual earnings.

At #39 out of 45 programs, Syracuse University's financial outcomes for Public Policy trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $53,912 to $74,419 shows 38% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$575K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple2.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$641K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple2.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$657K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Syracuse University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Public Policy graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Managers, all other
+4.5% 10-yr growth · 106,700 openings/yr
$136,550/yr
Moderate
3
Construction managers
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 46,800 openings/yr
$106,980/yr
Moderate
4
General and operations managers
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 308,700 openings/yr
$102,950/yr
Moderate
5
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 18,500 openings/yr
$102,010/yr
Moderate
6
Postmasters and mail superintendents
-3.5% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$92,730/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Public Policy

How Syracuse University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Barry University
FL · Private nonprofit
71
DW Score
$103K
1-yr earn
4.4x
ROI
National University
CA · Private nonprofit
69
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
13.5x
ROI
California State University-Northridge
CA · Public
74
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
25.8x
ROI
University of Maryland Global Campus
MD · Public
73
DW Score
$74K
1-yr earn
22.2x
ROI
Southern New Hampshire University
NH · Private nonprofit
66
DW Score
$73K
1-yr earn
10.1x
ROI
Also at Syracuse University

Other top programs at Syracuse University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Syracuse University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Public Policy offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Public Policy trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Public Policy at Syracuse University

How does Syracuse University's Public Policy program score?

A score of 57/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Syracuse University trails the majority of Public Policy programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Public Policy to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Public Policy careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 47% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.