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2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Rhode Island

[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 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public policy schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Policy Schools in Rhode Island

2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Rhode Island

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public policy, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Public Policy Schools

1

University Of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI

$16,942 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,500 Avg Student Debt

$69,743 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Rhode Island tops our 2026 list of the best value public policy schools in Rhode Island. Set in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,942, while out-of-state students pay about $37,146. Students borrow a median of $23,500 to complete the public policy program here. Early-career public policy graduates make about $38,868. Set against $23,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Rhode Island admits about 72% of applicants.

2

Brown University
Providence, RI

$71,312 In-State Tuition & Fees

$10,345 Avg Student Debt

$93,487 Median Earnings (10yr)

Brown University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $71,312. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $10,345 in student loans. Early-career public policy graduates make about $59,863. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.