2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k
19
Ranked Colleges
1,628
Degrees Awarded
$14,800
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 6,430 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States. 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.
Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,628 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,681 and $21,366 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality public policy programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public policy program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 221 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $4,502 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Princeton University.
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 more about Public Policy at Princeton
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $1,938 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UPenn.
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 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at UPenn
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 73 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,133 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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 Cornell
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgetown University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 201 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $9,871 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgetown.
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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Policy at Georgetown
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 75 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $13,608 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Carnegie Mellon University Public Policy Report
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 235 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $11,567 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of Maryland - College Park
University of Delaware landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Delaware is a large school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 46 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UD also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,583 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UD.
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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Delaware
George Washington University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. George Washington University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
GWU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GWU is $14,889 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full George Washington University Public Policy Report
Dickinson College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Dickinson also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $12,027 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dickinson.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson College
University of Maryland - Baltimore County ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMBC is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
UMBC also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,328 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Maryland - Baltimore County
With a ranking of #11, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rutgers New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $15,182 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at Rutgers New Brunswick
University at Albany did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. UAlbany is a fairly large school located in Albany, New York that handed out 34 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UAlbany also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UAlbany is $15,864 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UAlbany Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #13, SUNY Empire State College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SUNY Empire is a public institution located in Saratoga Springs, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Empire also took the #17 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Empire State College is $13,359 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SUNY Empire Public Policy Report
Temple University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Temple also took the #11 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $19,355 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Temple.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 Temple University
Stony Brook University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stony Brook University is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Stony Brook, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Stony Brook is $14,163 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full SUNY Stony Brook Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #16, American University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 50 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
The American University also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for The American University is $20,965 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Public Policy at The American University
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
Pitt also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $17,691 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pitt.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Pitt Public Policy Report
Siena College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Loudonville, New York, and it awarded 37 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Siena not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Siena College is $22,678 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Siena
The New School landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The New School is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 24 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
New School University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The New School is $39,370 for middle atlantic region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full New School University Public Policy Report
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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
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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.
Credits
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