2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
19
Ranked Colleges
1,260
Degrees Awarded
$11,500
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Public Policy is the 113th most popular major in the country with 6,430 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $21,866 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,260 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,417 and $21,515 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public policy programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public policy program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools
The public policy school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 269 students in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $371 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Duke Public Policy Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 190 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Vanderbilt University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 55 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,972 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at William & Mary
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 165 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Public Policy Report
Virginia Tech ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,934 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Public Policy at Virginia Tech
George Mason University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 88 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k list, GMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GMU is $14,781 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at George Mason University
Augusta University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Augusta, Georgia, and it awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Augusta University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,740 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augusta University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Augusta University
With a ranking of #9, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
UARK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,003 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UARK.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Arkansas
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 28 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,433 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Knoxville.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at UT Knoxville
University of Mississippi came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ole Miss is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ole Miss did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $7,764 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Mississippi
University of Kentucky landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
UK also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $12,593 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kentucky.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Kentucky
Georgia State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia State is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 30 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia State University is $15,197 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Public Policy at Georgia State University
Marshall University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Huntington, West Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
Marshall University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $5,377 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Public Policy at Marshall University
American Public University System landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
American Military University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $9,660 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Full American Military University Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #16, Mercer University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Macon, Georgia, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Mercer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mercer University is $16,024 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Mercer Public Policy Report
Regent University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It awarded 37 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Regent also took the #16 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,479 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Regent.
Full Regent Public Policy Report
Southern University and A & M College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern University and A & M College is a medium-sized school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 8 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern University and A & M College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern University and A & M College is $16,075 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southern University and A & M College Public Policy Report
Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 98 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Liberty University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $29,786 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Liberty University.
Read full report on Public Policy at Liberty University
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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
- *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.
Credits
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