2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region
18
Ranked Colleges
1,260
Degrees Awarded
$20,800
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 $75-$110k” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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
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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 18 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $75-$110k) 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 $75-$110k. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 269 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $18,113 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Duke University.
The undergraduate 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, 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 97%.
Full Duke University Public Policy Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 $15,636 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Public Policy at Vanderbilt University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 190 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,088 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
William & Mary also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $19,472 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend William & Mary.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 165 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $22,021 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus Public Policy Report
Augusta University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Augusta University is a public institution located in Augusta, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 ’s 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. The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $15,102 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Augusta University
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 $75-$110k ranking. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 88 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $22,013 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend GMU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full GMU Public Policy Report
University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. UARK is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UARK also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas is $19,053 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Public Policy at UARK
With a ranking of #9, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 27 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $23,999 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #10, Regent University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k list, Regent has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $29,646 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Regent.
Read more about Public Policy at Regent University
Georgia State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 30 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k list, Georgia State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,983 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Georgia State University.
Read full report on Public Policy at Georgia State
Marshall University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Huntington, West Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Marshall University also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $11,540 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Public Policy at Marshall University
University of Kentucky ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Kentucky is located in Lexington, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kentucky is $20,959 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Kentucky
University of Mississippi ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Mississippi is a large public school situated in University, Mississippi. It awarded 51 ’s public policy 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. It costs about $18,184 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ole Miss.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Ole Miss Public Policy Report
Mercer University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macon, Georgia, and it awarded 10 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mercer, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mercer is $23,303 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Mercer
Southern University and A & M College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and it awarded 8 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern University and A & M College also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Southern University and A & M College is $21,419 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Public Policy at Southern University and A & M College
With a ranking of #17, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UT Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 28 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $24,617 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UT Knoxville.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at UT Knoxville
Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Liberty University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $28,443 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Liberty University Public Policy Report
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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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