2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $48-$75k)

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.
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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 242 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 34 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public policy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $48-$75k)
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 Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 24 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
Harvard also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, 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 #2 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 2 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470.
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 6 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Duke also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140.
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Policy at University of California - Berkeley
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public policy degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’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 Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.
With a ranking of #7, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 8 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMCP also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 2 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UNLV are $21,962, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #12, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
Carnegie Mellon also took the #3 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon are $47,326, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #13, George Mason University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. George Mason University is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 16 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k list, GMU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at George Mason University are $37,410, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
IUPUI also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Portland State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Portland State University is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Portland State University also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Portland State University are $23,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
George Washington University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
GWU also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at George Washington University are $31,824.
University of Southern Maine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. This medium-sized school is located in Portland, Maine, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Southern Maine, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern Maine are $22,308, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Southern Maine
With a ranking of #18, Niagara University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Niagara University, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2019-2020.
Niagara also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Niagara are $14,893.
The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 6 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Dallas also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’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 UT Dallas are $28,610.
University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Boston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMass Boston are $36,485, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of Massachusetts - Boston Public Policy Report
University of Arkansas landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UARK is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UARK are $22,121, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Clemson University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Clemson University is located in Clemson, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Clemson also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at Clemson are $23,246, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also made our “Best Public Policy Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at USC are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Southern California
Rutgers University - Camden came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Rutgers Camden is a medium-sized school located in Camden, New Jersey that handed out 2 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Rutgers University - Camden are $31,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Public Policy at Rutgers University - Camden
University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are $21,055.
Read more about Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.
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