2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
19
Ranked Colleges
1,260
Degrees Awarded
$12,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
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 Southeast region, there were 1,260 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,417 and $21,515 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public policy programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the public policy program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 269 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $-927 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Public Policy at Duke University
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 190 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,729 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #3 spot on the list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,507 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.
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%. 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 William & Mary
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 59 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for southeast region 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Vanderbilt University Public Policy Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 165 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Virginia Tech came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $14,003 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Virginia Tech
George Mason University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 88 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $15,979 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend George Mason University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at George Mason University
Augusta University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Augusta, Georgia, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Augusta University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $10,221 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Augusta University
University of Arkansas ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,690 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arkansas.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at UARK
University of Mississippi ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ole Miss is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,489 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Mississippi.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Ole Miss Public Policy Report
University of Kentucky came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UK has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $13,424 for southeast 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Public Policy at UK
Marshall University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Marshall University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $6,254 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Public Policy at Marshall University
Georgia State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Georgia State is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia State is $15,767 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Public Policy at Georgia State University
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,970 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Knoxville.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UT Knoxville Public Policy Report
American Public University System did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. American Military University is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
American Military University also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $10,885 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend American Public University System.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read full report on Public Policy at American Public University System
Regent University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Regent University is a fairly large school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 37 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Regent has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Regent University is $20,707 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Public Policy at Regent
With a ranking of #17, Mercer University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mercer is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Macon, Georgia. It awarded 10 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mercer has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mercer is $17,971 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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%.
Full Mercer University Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #18, Southern University and A & M College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern University and A & M College is a public institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern University and A & M College also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern University and A & M College is $16,163 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Public Policy at Southern University and A & M College
Liberty University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $27,251 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Public Policy at Liberty University
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
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
college factual
.jpg){kind=link}