Accepting job offer ($55K+) in field vs. waiting for grad decisions

[studious_kirby]

If I got a job offer ($55K+) in my field of interest (philanthropy) before hearing back from any/all the programs I applied to, do you think I should take the job offer instead and decline/defer grad school to apply again in future, decline the job offer and go to grad school, or try to do the grad program part-time while working? I am in the interview process for 3 organizations that I'm decently excited about. And mindful that the avg salary upon graduating from many of the programs I applied for is $50-70K anyways..

Paying for classes, exposure to professors & new network, capstone & short-term  ... VS... Getting paid for FT work experience

 

Applied (haven't heard back from any yet): USC-Price MPA, UT Austin-LBJ MPAff (both DC and Austin programs), NYU-Wagner MPA, UW-Evans MPA, Brandeis-Heller MPP/Social Impact MBA dual degree, Georgetown-McCourt MPP 

I sought out programs with

• a strong foundation in: nonprofit management, public management, policy & data analysis, program evaluation, policy writing, fundraising, philanthropy.
• Strong connections to philanthropy and state/local govt in my cities of interest (see below)
• Experiential learning opportunities: fellowships/internships/research in philanthropy, nonprofit capacity-building, 
• Professors who have social justice & anti-racist values, critiques of structural inequality & imperialism, etc

Professional goals: philanthropy, nonprofit capacity-building, state/local government-level grantmaking, policy advocacy, or international development

Supplementary interests: community-based participatory research, participatory policymaking, participatory grantmaking and budgeting, philanthropic/nonprofit policy, urban planning, land use, health equity, tax policy, China affairs

Cities I'm interested in working in: LA, San Francisco, New York, DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, Seattle (currently residing)

About me:

• 3 years out of undergrad (3.0 GPA in political science at top public university)
• GRE: 152Q / 157 V / 4.5 AW
• Work experience --- temped 1 year in diversity recruiting at top STEM company; 2-3 years contracting in public administration at local City government. Technically only 1 year of full-time work experience.
• involved in local community foundation, local politics, and grassroots community organizing

Thanks for any insights you can provide!