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2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region

11 Ranked Colleges
758 Degrees Awarded
$18,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Southeast Region” 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 Southeast region, there were 1,261 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,533 and $29,669 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 758 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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 Southeast Region” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students.

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Southeast Region

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #1 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 28 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Public Policy Report

#2

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mississippi landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students list, Ole Miss has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ole Miss is $14,016 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students.

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 University of Mississippi

#3

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trevecca Nazarene University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Trevecca Nazarene University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students list, TNU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TNU is $17,499 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students.

Full Trevecca Nazarene University Public Policy Report

#4

Mercer University

Macon, Georgia
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mercer University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Macon, Georgia, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

Mercer not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mercer University is $21,464 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Mercer Public Policy Report

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 168 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $12,352 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Policy Report

#6

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Regent is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students list, Regent has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Regent University is $15,267 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students.

Full Regent Public Policy Report

#7

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Georgia State University is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 39 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia State is $13,953 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students.

Full Georgia State Public Policy Report

#8

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Public Policy at William & Mary

#9

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 82 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $20,397 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Virginia

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #10. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 37 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,432 for southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 96%.

Full Vanderbilt Public Policy Report

#11

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Public Policy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 233 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree public policy students list, Duke has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Public Policy Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $27,020 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Public Policy students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Duke 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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