2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
95
Ranked Colleges
6,430
Degrees Awarded
$6,300
Avg Net Price*
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 “Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Public Policy is the 113th most popular major in the country with 6,430 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $21,866 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 95 colleges that offered a degree in public policy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent public policy programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the public policy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 269 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. It costs about $-927 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke University. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
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 6 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 Duke University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 193 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Harvard also made our “Best Public Policy Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $1,396 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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.
Read more about Public Policy at Harvard University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 411 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $4,777 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 221 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Princeton also made our “Best Public Policy Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Princeton is $4,502 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Princeton
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best Public Policy Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $1,938 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UPenn.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UPenn Public Policy Report
Cornell University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 73 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Policy Schools” list. It costs about $5,133 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell.
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 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cornell Public Policy Report
Northwestern University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Policy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Policy at Northwestern University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 225 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Public Policy Report
Brown University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Brown also made our “Best Public Policy Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $2,842 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at Brown University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Policy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at UNC Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 114 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our public policy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,999 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #12, William & Mary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
William & Mary also took the #24 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,507 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 93%.
Read more about Public Policy at William & Mary
Vanderbilt University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 59 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt also took the #19 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $4,652 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at Vanderbilt University
With a ranking of #14, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 201 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $9,871 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Georgetown Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #15, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 28 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $2,446 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Public Policy at WUSTL
Trinity College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity Bantams is located in Hartford, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Public Policy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity College is $8,608 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at Trinity College
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,788 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 75 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Schools” list. It costs about $13,608 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Carnegie Mellon Public Policy Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 71 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,609 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 UMN Twin Cities
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,891 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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 96%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Public Policy Report
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 235 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,567 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 95%.
Read more about Public Policy at UMCP
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 3 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Indiana University - Bloomington
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,216 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full IUPUI Public Policy Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 165 students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Public Policy Schools” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $10,063 for Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Virginia Public Policy Report
University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 12 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $9,602 for public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 more about Public Policy at UNLV
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