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2024 Best Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts

7 Colleges in Massachusetts
339 Master's Degrees
$57,405 Avg Early-Career Salary
a master's degree in public policy is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #55 out of 343 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 7 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 339 master's degrees in public policy to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Policy School for Your Master's Degree

Best Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts The public policy master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for public policy students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Policy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 the Best Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Public Policy in Massachusetts

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for public policy students seeking a a master's degree.

Top Massachusetts Schools for a Master's in Public Policy

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

It's hard to beat Harvard University if you want to pursue a master's degree in public policy. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those public policy students who get their master's degree from Harvard University make $19,470 more than the typical public policy grad.

More information about a master’s in public policy from Harvard University

2

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in public policy needs to take a look at Brandeis University. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waltham.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public policy program state that they receive average early career wages of $46,126.

More information about a master’s in public policy from Brandeis University

3
18 Annual Graduates

University of Massachusetts - Boston is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in public policy. Located in the large city of Boston, UMass Boston is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in public policy from University of Massachusetts - Boston

4

It is difficult to beat University of Massachusetts Amherst if you want to pursue a master's degree in public policy. UMass Amherst is a very large public university located in the suburb of Amherst.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public policy program report average early career earnings of $49,213.

More information about a master’s in public policy from University of Massachusetts Amherst

5
4 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in public policy from Simmons University

6
9 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Boston, Suffolk is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in public policy from Suffolk University

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
9 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in public policy from Tufts University

Best Public Policy Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Public Policy Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Connecticut 153 70
Rhode Island 127 66
New Hampshire 108 23
Vermont 91 2
Maine 90 20

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One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Policy has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Policy Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis 302
International Policy Analysis 21
Health Policy Analysis 13
Education Policy Analysis 3

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 508
Community Organization & Advocacy 48
Other Public Administration 19

Notes and References

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