2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major
118
Ranked Colleges
3,213
Degrees Awarded
$57,597
Avg Salary
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,213 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” ranking analyzed 118 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in public policy.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major”.
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 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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major”.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 89 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Princeton Public Policy Report
Out of the 118 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 217 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full UChicago Public Policy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Adler University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Public Policy at Adler University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major. Trinity Bantams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hartford, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Trinity Bantams Public Policy Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 59 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Policy at Georgetown University
Brandeis University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Brandeis University is a medium-sized school located in Waltham, Massachusetts that handed out 96 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.
Full Brandeis Public Policy Report
California Lutheran University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 28 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at CLU
Brown University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 93 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 98%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Public Policy at Brown University
Harvard University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 288 degrees to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Harvard
Teachers College at Columbia University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 22 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Public Policy at Teachers College at Columbia University
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #12. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 98 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Carnegie Mellon University Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #13, Duke University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 103 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Public Policy at Duke University
Jacksonville University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Jacksonville University
University of Southern Maine came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. University of Southern Maine is a public institution located in Portland, Maine. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Southern Maine
With a ranking of #16, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 94 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Virginia - Main Campus
American University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. The American University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 63 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 American University
With a ranking of #18, Tuskegee University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Tuskegee, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Tuskegee University
Pepperdine University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Pepperdine University is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 33 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Pepperdine
Elizabethtown College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. This small school is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 0 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Elizabethtown College
University of St. Thomas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #21. University of St. Thomas is located in Houston, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at University of St. Thomas
University of Washington - Bothell Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a medium-sized school located in Bothell, Washington that handed out 15 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Washington - Bothell Campus Public Policy Report
Delaware Valley University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. DelVal is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 0 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at DelVal
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a public institution located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at UMass Dartmouth
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 129 students in 2021-2022.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Maryland - College Park
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