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2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k

50 Ranked Colleges
2,524 Degrees Awarded
$25,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k” 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,524 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 50 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.

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.

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 Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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.

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Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income Over $110k)

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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 #1 for the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k. UNC 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.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $15,336 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Public Policy at U-M

#3

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #3 spot on the list. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

UMCP also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $19,045 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UMCP.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Public Policy at UMCP

#4

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Catherine University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Kate’s also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $19,078 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend St. Kate’s.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St Catherine University Public Policy Report

#5

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mississippi. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ole Miss is $14,016 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read more about Public Policy at University of Mississippi

#6

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #6. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,397 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

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%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#7

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 28 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Virginia Tech

#8

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. TNU is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 2 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,499 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Trevecca Nazarene University.

Full TNU Public Policy Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #9. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Ohio State

#10

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UD is $17,220 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at UD

#11

St Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. SMCM is a public institution located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,369 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend St Mary’s College of Maryland.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full St Mary’s College of Maryland Public Policy Report

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 UIC

#13

University at Albany

Albany, New York

University at Albany came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Albany, New York, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,577 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University at Albany.

Full University at Albany Public Policy Report

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,232 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UT Dallas.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, 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 90%.

Read full report on Public Policy at UT Dallas

#15

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia

Mercer University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Macon, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Mercer University is $21,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Mercer Public Policy Report

#16

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #16, Georgia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Georgia State is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Georgia State University is $13,953 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Georgia State Public Policy Report

#17

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,397 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend CWU.

Read full report on Public Policy at CWU

#18

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #18, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,173 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Michigan State University

#19

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,317 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Princeton University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Princeton University

#19

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

With a ranking of #19, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 84 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Skysong is $13,971 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Public Policy at Arizona State University - Skysong

#20

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Olivet Nazarene Public Policy Report

#21

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 full report on Public Policy at University of California - Riverside

#22

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#23 in overall quality

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is a large school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey that handed out 25 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k list, Rutgers New Brunswick has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,654 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Public Policy Report

#23

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #23, Washington State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,358 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Wazzu.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Washington State University

#24

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #24. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $19,800 for Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at William & Mary

#25

University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kingston, Rhode Island, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Rhode Island is $20,607 for bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at URI

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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