2023 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region
54
Ranked Colleges
$34,500
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,536 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,681 and $34,044 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, we looked at 54 colleges that offer a degree in public policy. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in public policy.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region”.
Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region
Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 210 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read more about Public Policy at Princeton University
Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Gettysburg College landed the #2 spot on the list. Gettysburg is a small school located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 26 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 0.8% 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 Gettysburg
Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Siena College landed the #3 spot on the list. Siena College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Loudonville, New York. It awarded 1 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Siena
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Barnard College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 19 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. 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.
Read more about Public Policy at Barnard
Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Hamilton College landed the #5 spot on the list. Hamilton College is a small school located in Clinton, New York that handed out 21 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Public Policy at Hamilton
SUNY Empire State College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 86 ’s public policy degrees 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%.
Full SUNY Empire Public Policy Report
Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #7. Georgetown University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 59 ’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Georgetown Public Policy Report
Dickinson College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson College
St Mary’s College of Maryland ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. St. Mary’s City, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Read more about Public Policy at SMCM
Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #10. Washington & Jefferson College is a small school located in Washington, Pennsylvania that handed out 2 ’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%. 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.
Full Washington & Jefferson College Public Policy Report
Teachers College at Columbia University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 24 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
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. 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 Teachers College
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 262 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 more about Public Policy at University of Maryland - College Park
With a ranking of #13, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 105 students in 2021-2022.
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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University
Susquehanna University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Susquehanna is a private not-for-profit institution located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Public Policy at Susquehanna University
American University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 64 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 American University
Cornell University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 67 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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 97%. 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.
Read full report on Public Policy at Cornell
With a ranking of #17, Elizabethtown College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Elizabethtown College
The New School landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. New School University is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 35 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad 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 more about Public Policy at New School University
With a ranking of #19, Delaware Valley University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Delaware Valley University is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at DelVal
With a ranking of #20, University of Delaware did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 37 students in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Delaware
With a ranking of #21, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 81 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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 91%.
Read more about Public Policy at George Washington University
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. YCP is located in York, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 YCP Public Policy Report
University at Albany ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in Albany, New York, and it awarded 35 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full University at Albany Public Policy Report
Duquesne University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Duquesne
University of Maryland - Baltimore County came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. University of Maryland - Baltimore County is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 14 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 UMBC
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