2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southwest Region
[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public policy education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value public policy schools.
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2027 Best Value Public Policy Schools in the Southwest 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
For return on investment in public policy, no school beat Rice University this year. Rice University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,247. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $11,904. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Rice University generally make around $75,299. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Houston earned it the #2 place for public policy. University Of Houston is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. Students from in state pay about $9,717 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $21,255 in student loans. Public Policy graduates of University Of Houston earn a median of $57,529 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Arizona State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value public policy schools. Located in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,223 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,139 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,341 to complete the public policy program here. Early-career public policy graduates make about $51,095. That is a strong return on a $22,341 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus earned it the #4 place for public policy. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Norman. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,797, with out-of-state students paying around $27,377. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $23,138. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus generally make around $53,731. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in public policy will find it at The University Of Texas At Dallas, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Richardson, The University Of Texas At Dallas is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,644, while out-of-state students pay about $40,144. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $16,750. Early-career public policy graduates make about $43,837. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Dallas admits about 65% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value public policy schools. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,688 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $44,908. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $21,275. Public Policy graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $71,723 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,275 median debt. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Texas A And M University College Station placed #7 among the best values for public policy. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $20,031. Public Policy graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $64,891 early in their careers. Set against $20,031 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Southern Methodist University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value public policy schools. Set in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,040. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $19,615 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Southern Methodist University generally make around $40,434. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
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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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
