by our College Data Analytics Team
[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their public policy graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send public policy graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Brown University, our #1 for public policy graduate salaries in the New England Region. Brown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. Students who complete the public policy program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,161.
Trinity College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying public policy schools. Located in the city of Hartford, Trinity College is a private not-for-profit institution. Public Policy graduates of Trinity College earn a median of about $56,902 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Brandeis University one of the highest-paying schools for public policy. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham. Early-career public policy graduates from Brandeis University make a median of around $68,486 per year.
University Of Rhode Island produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public policy, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a public institution. Public Policy graduates of University Of Rhode Island earn a median of about $55,880 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Connecticut earned it the #5 place for public policy. Located in the town of Storrs, University Of Connecticut is a public institution. Early-career public policy graduates from University Of Connecticut make a median of around $33,424 per year.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries public policy graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.