by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public policy students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 280 doctor's degrees in public policy to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The public policy doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality public policy program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for public policy students working on their doctor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Public Policy Doctor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in public policy.
University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in public policy. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley.More information about a doctorate in public policy from University of California - Berkeley
It's difficult to beat Brandeis University if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in public policy. Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a doctorate in public policy from Brandeis University
George Mason University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in public policy. GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax.More information about a doctorate in public policy from George Mason University
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in public policy. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in public policy from The University of Texas at Austin
ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the city of Tempe.More information about a doctorate in public policy from Arizona State University - Tempe
UNLV is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Las Vegas.More information about a doctorate in public policy from University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Located in the suburb of Baltimore, UMBC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in public policy from University of Maryland - Baltimore County
UMass Boston is a large public university located in the city of Boston.More information about a doctorate in public policy from University of Massachusetts - Boston
Southern University and A & M College is a moderately-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Baton Rouge.More information about a doctorate in public policy from Southern University and A & M College
View the Best Public Policy Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Policy has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Public Policy Analysis | 227 |
| Education Policy Analysis | 17 |
| Health Policy Analysis | 17 |
| Other Public Policy Analysis | 14 |
| International Policy Analysis | 5 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 329 |
| Human Services | 97 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 32 |
| Other Public Administration | 28 |
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