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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)

14 Ranked Colleges
588 Degrees Awarded
$23,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Getting Aid” 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.

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. 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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)

#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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #1 spot on the list. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 108 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students with aid list, Princeton has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $11,317 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Policy at Princeton

#2

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $19,045 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMCP Public Policy Report

#3

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 58 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $40,126 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid per year to attend Cornell University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 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.

Read full report on Public Policy at Cornell

#4

SUNY Empire State College

Saratoga Springs, New York
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Empire State College landed the #4 spot on the list. SUNY Empire is a fairly large public school situated in Saratoga Springs, New York. It awarded 51 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Empire, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Empire State College is $12,142 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

Full SUNY Empire State College Public Policy Report

#5

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #9 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $21,654 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Public Policy Report

#6

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $25,802 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid per year to attend UPenn.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at UPenn

#7

University at Albany

Albany, New York
#11 in overall quality

University at Albany ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. University at Albany is a public institution located in Albany, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UAlbany not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UAlbany is $18,577 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

Read full report on Public Policy at University at Albany

#8

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

UD also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UD is $17,220 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full UD Public Policy Report

#9

St Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. St. Mary’s City, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

SMCM also took the #12 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St Mary’s College of Maryland is $19,369 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at SMCM

#10

Siena College

Loudonville, New York
#7 in overall quality

Siena College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Siena is a private not-for-profit institution located in Loudonville, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees 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 $27,479 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Siena College

#11

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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 University is $34,508 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 students. 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 full report on Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University

#12

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Gettysburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gettysburg College is $26,513 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at Gettysburg

#13

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Dickinson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson is $29,452 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students with aid.

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 more about Public Policy at Dickinson

#14

Rider University

Lawrenceville, New Jersey
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Rider University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Rider also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Rider is $27,964 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree public policy students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Public Policy at Rider 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

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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