2023 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region
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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region public policy students.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. University of Maryland - Baltimore County is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UMBC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County is $19,460 for middle atlantic region public policy students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Maryland - Baltimore County
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Empire State College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. SUNY Empire State College is a medium-sized school located in Saratoga Springs, New York that handed out 86 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Empire also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $11,995 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students per year to attend SUNY Empire State College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at SUNY Empire State College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Temple University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
Temple did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $23,888 for middle atlantic region public policy students per year to attend Temple.
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 more about Public Policy at Temple
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, George Washington University landed the #4 spot on the list. George Washington University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 69 ’s public policy 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 George Washington University is $32,563 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at George Washington University
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University at Albany landed the #5 spot on the list. 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. It costs about $18,355 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students per year to attend University at Albany.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Policy at UAlbany
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 235 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students list, UMCP has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $18,048 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Maryland - College Park
With a ranking of #7, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
Rutgers New Brunswick not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers New Brunswick is $23,035 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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%.
Full Rutgers New Brunswick Public Policy Report
University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #8. UD is a large school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 46 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $18,967 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students per year to attend UD.
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 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 UD
Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #9. Stony Brook University is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 20 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Stony Brook also made our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Stony Brook University is $16,119 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at SUNY Stony Brook
American University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #10. American University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at The American University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American University is $40,088 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full American University Public Policy Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Public Policy at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Siena College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Siena is a private not-for-profit institution located in Loudonville, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region public policy students list, Siena has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Siena College is $29,047 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
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
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 75 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $36,775 for middle atlantic region public policy students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University
Georgetown University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 201 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students 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 University is $32,108 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Policy at Georgetown
The New School came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
New School University also took the #18 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The New School is $44,430 for middle atlantic region public policy students.
The undergraduate 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.
Read more about Public Policy at The New School
Princeton University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
Princeton also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $9,836 for middle atlantic region public policy students.
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.
Full Princeton Public Policy Report
Dickinson College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Dickinson College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
Dickinson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson College is $32,250 for middle atlantic region public policy students.
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 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson
With a ranking of #18, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.
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 yearly cost to attend Cornell is $37,042 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cornell Public Policy Report
University of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 31 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $25,046 for Middle Atlantic Region Public Policy students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Public Policy at University of Pennsylvania
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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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