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2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

11 Ranked Colleges
758 Degrees Awarded
$40,725 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Public Policy is the 116th most popular major in the country with 6,199 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 1,261 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,533 and $29,669 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 758 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public policy programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 233 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $4,150 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Public Policy at Duke University

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,086 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Vanderbilt University Public Policy Report

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 168 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,060 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UNC Chapel Hill Public Policy Report

#4

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $11,721 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William & Mary.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 William & Mary Public Policy Report

#5

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 82 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $14,671 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia Public Policy Report

#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,067 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Public Policy Report

#7

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Mississippi is a large school located in University, Mississippi that handed out 56 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ole Miss has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ole Miss is $17,415 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Policy at Ole Miss

#8

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Trevecca Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Trevecca Nazarene University is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 2 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

TNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Trevecca Nazarene University is $17,587 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full TNU Public Policy Report

#9

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia
#7 in overall quality

Mercer University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Mercer is a medium-sized school located in Macon, Georgia that handed out 9 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Mercer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mercer is $20,012 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 University Public Policy Report

#10

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #10, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

Georgia State also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia State is $15,145 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Georgia State University Public Policy Report

#11

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Regent not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Regent University is $15,865 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Public Policy at Regent

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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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