2023 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in Pennsylvania
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When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 335 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,423 and $38,200 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree 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.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania public policy students.
Top 22 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gettysburg College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania. Gettysburg College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 26 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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%.
Full Gettysburg College Public Policy Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Dickinson College landed the #2 spot on the list. Dickinson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington & Jefferson College landed the #3 spot on the list. Washington & Jefferson College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 W&J Public Policy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 105 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon
Out of the 22 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Susquehanna University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1 ’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Policy at Susquehanna
Elizabethtown College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Elizabethtown College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Etown Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #7, Delaware Valley University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Delaware Valley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s 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 full report on Public Policy at DelVal
York College of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. York College of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at York College of Pennsylvania
Duquesne University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Duquesne University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 17 ’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%.
Read more about Public Policy at Duquesne
With a ranking of #10, Ursinus College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 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.
Full Ursinus College Public Policy Report
Temple University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 50 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 more about Public Policy at Temple
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Pitt is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Pitt Public Policy Report
University of Pennsylvania came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 31 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UPenn Public Policy Report
Chatham University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
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 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 Chatham University Public Policy Report
Drexel University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 ’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%. 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at Drexel University
Waynesburg University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Waynesburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Waynesburg Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #17, Saint Joseph’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. St. Joe’s is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Policy at Saint Joseph’s University
With a ranking of #18, University of Scranton did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 0 ’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Scranton
Saint Vincent College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Saint Vincent College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1 ’s public policy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Full Saint Vincent College Public Policy Report
Swarthmore College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at Swarthmore
Cabrini University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. Radnor, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cabrini University
University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Greensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 1 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 University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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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