2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
19
Ranked Colleges
1,628
Degrees Awarded
$26,100
Avg Net Price*
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 Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered 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 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools 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 private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Princeton also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $9,836 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid per year to attend Princeton.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Public Policy at Princeton
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 235 students in 2020-2021.
UMCP also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,048 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
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 more about Public Policy at University of Maryland - College Park
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Delaware landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $18,967 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 more about Public Policy at University of Delaware
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 31 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also took the #4 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $25,046 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
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. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Pennsylvania Public Policy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Empire State College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid 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.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students with aid list, SUNY Empire has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Empire State College is $11,995 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Policy at SUNY Empire
Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers New Brunswick is $23,035 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Public Policy at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Cornell University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $37,042 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Cornell
University at Albany did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. University at Albany is a fairly large school located in Albany, New York that handed out 34 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UAlbany did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University at Albany is $18,355 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 UAlbany Public Policy Report
University of Maryland - Baltimore County did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. UMBC is a fairly large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 21 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UMBC also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $19,460 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid per year to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County.
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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students with aid 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 $36,775 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 96%. 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%.
Full Carnegie Mellon Public Policy Report
Georgetown University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 201 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgetown also took the #6 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $32,108 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Georgetown
Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 50 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students with aid list, Temple has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $23,888 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Temple Public Policy Report
Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Stony Brook, New York, this large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.
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 $16,119 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Stony Brook University Public Policy Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Pitt is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Pitt also took the #15 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
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 2.9% 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%.
Full Pitt Public Policy Report
George Washington University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. GWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
GWU also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend GWU is $32,563 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full George Washington University Public Policy Report
With a ranking of #16, Dickinson College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dickinson, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson is $32,250 for middle atlantic region public policy students with aid.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson College
Siena College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Siena College is a small school located in Loudonville, New York that handed out 37 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Siena, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Siena is $29,047 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Siena College Public Policy Report
American University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students with aid list, The American University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The American University is $40,088 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at The American University
The New School did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. New School University 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 also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The New School is $44,430 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students with aid.
The impressive undergraduate 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 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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