2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k
19
Ranked Colleges
1,260
Degrees Awarded
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,260 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,417 and $21,515 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 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 $7,160 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at Duke University
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 59 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Vanderbilt Public Policy Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 190 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 more about Public Policy at UNC Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $10,995 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at William & Mary
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Virginia - Main Campus 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,019 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus
American Public University System ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. American Public University System 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at American Military University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,536 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend American Military University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at American Military University
Virginia Tech landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $18,372 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Virginia Tech Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #8, Augusta University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Augusta, Georgia, and it awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Augusta University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $13,276 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 Augusta University Public Policy Report
George Mason University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. George Mason University is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 88 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $19,066 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full George Mason University Public Policy Report
University of Arkansas landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
UARK also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UARK is $16,256 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Policy at UARK
With a ranking of #11, Marshall University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Marshall University also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $9,256 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Public Policy at Marshall University
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 22 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UK, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,708 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Kentucky.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. 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 full report on Public Policy at University of Kentucky
Georgia State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
Georgia State also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $18,466 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgia State University.
Read more about Public Policy at Georgia State University
With a ranking of #14, Regent University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Regent did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Regent is $24,954 for southeast region public policy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Regent Public Policy Report
University of Mississippi ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Ole Miss not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $15,351 for southeast region 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 86%.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Mississippi
Mercer University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Macon, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
Mercer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mercer is $21,388 for southeast region 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 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Public Policy at Mercer University
With a ranking of #17, Southern University and A & M College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern University and A & M College is a medium-sized school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 8 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern University and A & M College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,825 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern University and A & M College.
Read full report on Public Policy at Southern University and A & M College
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $22,476 for Southeast Region 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 89%. 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%.
Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Public Policy Report
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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 98 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $27,305 for Southeast Region Public Policy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Liberty University.
Read more about Public Policy at Liberty University
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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.
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