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2026 Highest Paid Public Policy Grads in Texas

[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying public policy schools.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid Public Policy Grads in Texas

2026 Highest Paid Public Policy Grads in Texas

If you want to know which schools send public policy graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.

Highest Paid Public Policy Graduates

1

Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX

$77,862 Average Early-Career Salary

Leading the list is Southern Methodist University, our #1 for public policy graduate salaries in Texas. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, public policy degree recipients from Southern Methodist University typically earn about $77,862 annually.

2

The University Of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX

$84,462 Average Early-Career Salary

Strong graduate earnings at The University Of Texas At Austin earned it the #2 place for public policy. The University Of Texas At Austin is a public school located in the city of Austin. Early-career public policy graduates from The University Of Texas At Austin make a median of around $84,462 per year.

3

The University Of Texas At Dallas
Richardson, TX

$43,169 Average Early-Career Salary

The University Of Texas At Dallas produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public policy, landing the #3 spot this year. The University Of Texas At Dallas is a public school located in the city of Richardson. Public Policy graduates of The University Of Texas At Dallas earn a median of about $43,169 a year early in their careers.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 3 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.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.