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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $48-$75k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

14 Ranked Colleges
588 Degrees Awarded
$52,100 Avg Salary
Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 6,199 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 116th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $52,077 and had an average of $35,743 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,533 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,789 and $38,708 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 588 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy (Income $48-$75k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #1 spot on the list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Princeton also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $7,576 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Princeton Public Policy Report

#2

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $11,869 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Policy at Cornell University

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 23 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $12,752 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UPenn.

The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 95%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Public Policy Report

#4

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,418 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Maryland - College Park

#5

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $18,276 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon

#6

St Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SMCM is located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

SMCM also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Mary’s College of Maryland is $12,650 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full SMCM Public Policy Report

#7

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Dickinson College is a small school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania that handed out 18 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Dickinson also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $18,152 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dickinson College.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson College

#8

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

With a ranking of #8, University of Delaware did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $14,622 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UD.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Public Policy at UD

#9

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Gettysburg is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Gettysburg has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg is $16,918 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Public Policy at Gettysburg

#10

SUNY Empire State College

Saratoga Springs, New York
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, SUNY Empire State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Empire also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $13,334 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SUNY Empire State College.

Read more about Public Policy at SUNY Empire State College

#11

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#9 in overall quality

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $20,935 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Rutgers New Brunswick

#12

University at Albany

Albany, New York
#11 in overall quality

University at Albany did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Albany, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

UAlbany did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University at Albany is $20,138 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Public Policy at UAlbany

#13

Siena College

Loudonville, New York
#7 in overall quality

Siena College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Loudonville, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Siena also took the #7 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Siena is $24,276 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Siena College

#14

Rider University

Lawrenceville, New Jersey
#14 in overall quality

Rider University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Rider University is a small school located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey that handed out 2 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Rider also took the #14 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rider University is $24,866 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Rider 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

Footnotes

  • *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.

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