2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public policy students.
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2026 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
Leading the list is University Of Utah, our #1 best value for public policy in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,620, compared with $30,860 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,798 to complete the public policy program here. Early-career public policy graduates make about $61,434. Set against $20,798 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Boise State University earned it the #2 place for public policy. Located in the city of Boise, Boise State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,048, with out-of-state students paying around $27,788. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $24,311 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Boise State University generally make around $49,059. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
University Of Denver came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value public policy schools. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $61,398. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $22,534 in student loans. 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
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
