2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in New York

[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value public policy schools.
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2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public policy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Public Policy Schools
For return on investment in public policy, no school beat Suny Empire State College this year. Suny Empire State College is a large public school located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs. Students from in state pay about $7,648 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,558 for out-of-state students. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $25,239 in student loans. Early-career public policy graduates make about $52,614. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in public policy will find it at Suny At Albany, which ranked #2. Suny At Albany is a very large public school located in the city of Albany. In-state tuition and fees average $10,601, with out-of-state students paying around $30,991. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $23,521. Public Policy graduates of Suny At Albany earn a median of $44,736 early in their careers. Set against $23,521 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
A rank of #3 makes Stony Brook University one of the best values for public policy. Stony Brook University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook. Students from in state pay about $10,931 in tuition and fees, compared with $32,741 for out-of-state students. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $20,537 in student loans. Early-career public policy graduates make about $54,079. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 49% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Cornell University one of the best values for public policy. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,314. Students borrow a median of $15,750 to complete the public policy program here. Early-career public policy graduates make about $77,906. Set against $15,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Hamilton College one of the best values for public policy. Hamilton College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Clinton. Students from in state pay about $68,960 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $17,000. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Hamilton College generally make around $56,158. That is a strong return on a $17,000 median debt. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
Rochester Institute Of Technology ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value public policy schools. Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $59,210. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $27,491. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Rochester Institute Of Technology generally make around $63,515. Set against $27,491 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rochester Institute Of Technology admits about 67% of applicants.
Syracuse University came in at #7 for value in public policy this year. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $26,130 in student loans. Public Policy graduates of Syracuse University earn a median of $54,785 early in their careers. Set against $26,130 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 46%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.