2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Great Lakes Region
5
Ranked Colleges
9
Degrees Awarded
$36,300
Avg Cost*

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 6,484 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States. In , public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $32,327 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 931 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,270 and $28,850 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 9 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,470 and $126,402 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 5 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their public policy program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
Top 5 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 5 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan Technological University landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full Michigan Technological University Public Policy Report
Out of the 5 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
Out of the 5 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 U-M Public Policy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 1 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s public policy degrees to 363 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 99%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Chicago