2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $0-$30k)
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 6,199 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 116th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $52,077 and had an average of $35,743 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,160 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 74 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public policy programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public policy program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree public policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 228 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree public policy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Harvard has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 337 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.
Out of the 74 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #3 spot on the list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.
Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 96 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Princeton also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 177 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown University are $53,591, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Brown is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 55 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree public policy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363.
Stanford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 23 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree public policy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011.
With a ranking of #8, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 105 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.
Washington University in St Louis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 12 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
WUSTL also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Policy at Washington University in St Louis
Vanderbilt University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 126 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of California - Berkeley Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 43 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523.
William & Mary came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 13 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at William & Mary are $34,800, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 72 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree public policy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #17, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Policy Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Trinity College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hartford, Connecticut, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
Trinity Bantams also made our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Trinity College are $17,830.
University of California - Irvine landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of California - Irvine
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 75 degrees to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia are $32,394, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts University are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 8 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Public Policy at Michigan State University
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 111 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon are $47,326, but some majors have different tuition rates.
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
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