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2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region

17 Ranked Colleges
458 Degrees Awarded
$58,647 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Policy is the 113th most popular major in the country with 6,484 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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 Southeast region, there were 1,271 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,417 and $28,438 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 458 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,462 and $43,311 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. That schools that top this list have a program in public policy in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region master’s degree public policy students.

Top 17 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 17 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke University 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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

2
JU crest
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Jacksonville University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Jacksonville University is a small school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 12 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at JU

3
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 94 masters’s public policy degrees 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 97%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Public Policy Report

4
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Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tuskegee University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Tuskegee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tuskegee, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Public Policy at Tuskegee University

5
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this large public school awarded 84 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at GMU

6
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 16 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Policy at Vanderbilt University

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 80 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%.

Full Liberty University Public Policy Report

8

With a ranking of #8, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 UT Knoxville

9
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Marshall University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Marshall University is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington, West Virginia. It awarded 8 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Marshall University

10

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Georgia Tech is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 19 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia Tech Public Policy Report

11
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 8 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full American Military University Public Policy Report

12
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Kentucky

13
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at William & Mary

14

University of Central Florida landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Central Florida

14
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, Regent University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It awarded 23 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Regent

14

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #14. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 1 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

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

14
UNO crest
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

University of New Orleans landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. University of New Orleans is a medium-sized public school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 0 masters’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNO Public Policy Report

Notes and References

References

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