2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for public policy students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
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
University Of Colorado Denver earned the #1 spot for value among public policy schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,383, while out-of-state students pay about $29,391. Students borrow a median of $26,582 to complete the public policy program here. Early-career public policy graduates make about $66,288. Set against $26,582 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Students looking for strong value in public policy will find it at University Of Utah, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,620 in tuition and fees, compared with $30,860 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $20,798. Early-career public policy graduates make about $61,434. Set against $20,798 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Utah admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Denver is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. Students from in state pay about $61,398 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,534 to complete the public policy program here. Public Policy graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $56,999 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,534 median debt. University Of Denver admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
