2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Massachusetts

[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public policy education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for public policy students.
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2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Massachusetts
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
Harvard University earned the #1 spot for value among public policy schools in Massachusetts. Set in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,676. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the public policy program here. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Harvard University generally make around $87,444. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public policy will find it at University Of Massachusetts Boston, which ranked #2. University Of Massachusetts Boston is a large public school located in the city of Boston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,898, with out-of-state students paying around $38,115. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $26,236. Public Policy graduates of University Of Massachusetts Boston earn a median of $52,885 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,236 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth one of the best values for public policy. Located in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $15,612 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,567. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $27,106 in student loans. Public Policy graduates of University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earn a median of $67,722 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,772, while out-of-state students pay about $40,449. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $25,195 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst generally make around $50,929. That is a strong return on a $25,195 median debt. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Brandeis University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Waltham, Brandeis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $68,080. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career public policy graduates make about $52,220. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Brandeis University admits about 40% of applicants.
Tufts University earned the #6 position for value in public policy this year. Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,704. Students borrow a median of $17,074 to complete the public policy program here. Public Policy graduates of Tufts University earn a median of $68,154 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,074 median debt. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.