2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 127 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,900 and $41,705 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 110 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public policy programs that also have a lower cost than 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

#2 in overall quality

$28,845 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$55,577 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 81 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845.

Read full report on Public Policy at UMN Twin Cities

#2

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

#1 in overall quality

$56,562 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 12 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Public Policy at WUSTL

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$22,648 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 9 masters’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNI are $22,648, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UNI Public Policy Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $75-$110k)

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.

Featured Public Administration Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >