College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy

197 Ranked Colleges
6,430 Degrees Awarded
$33,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 6,430 people earned their degree in public policy, making the major the 113th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public policy graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $49,451 and had an average of $21,866 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” ranking looked at 197 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. That schools that top this list have a program in public policy in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Policy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy

1
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Public Policy at Princeton University

2
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mills College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 31 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Policy at Mills College

3
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major. Trinity Bantams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hartford, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Public Policy at Trinity College

4
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandeis University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Brandeis University is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 185 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Public Policy at Brandeis

5
Bennington crest
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bennington College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Bennington, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Bennington College Public Policy Report

6
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 411 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Chicago

7
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Brown

8
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Gettysburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 29 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Gettysburg College

9
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 269 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Duke Public Policy Report

10
Siena crest
Siena College
Loudonville, New York

With a ranking of #10, Siena College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Loudonville, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Siena College Public Policy Report

11
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Policy at Barnard

12
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

With a ranking of #12, Hamilton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Hamilton College is a small school located in Clinton, New York that handed out 18 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Policy at Hamilton

13
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, Illinois

Adler University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 15 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Adler Public Policy Report

14
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York

SUNY Empire State College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #14. SUNY Empire is a medium-sized public school situated in Saratoga Springs, New York. It awarded 86 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at SUNY Empire

15
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 201 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Georgetown

16
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Carlisle, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Dickinson College

17
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Pomona College is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 10 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Pomona College Public Policy Report

18
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. This small school is located in Thousand Oaks, California, and it awarded 30 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at CLU

19
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #19. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 193 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Public Policy at Harvard University

20

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 190 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

21
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 165 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Virginia

22
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 55 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at William & Mary

23
SMCM crest
St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #23. St Mary’s College of Maryland is a small school located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland that handed out 7 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at St Mary’s College of Maryland

24
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. This small school is located in Washington, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Policy at Washington & Jefferson College

25

Teachers College at Columbia University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #25. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Teachers College Public Policy Report

Rest of the Best 30 in Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major

Not only did these schools make the top 30 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia
28
29
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
30
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options