College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania

16 Ranked Colleges
125 Degrees Awarded
$50,129 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania” 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.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 330 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,423 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 125 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,741 and $27,572 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in public policy.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree public policy students.

Top 16 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in Pennsylvania

1
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gettysburg College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania. Gettysburg College is a small school located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 29 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Gettysburg

2
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dickinson College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Dickinson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16 bachelors’s public policy 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Dickinson College

3
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Out of the 16 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington & Jefferson College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Washington, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Washington & Jefferson College Public Policy Report

4
Susquehanna crest
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Susquehanna University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania. Susquehanna is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Susquehanna Public Policy Report

5
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duquesne University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Duquesne University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Duquesne

6
Ursinus crest
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Ursinus College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Ursinus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ursinus Public Policy Report

7
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Pennsylvania

8
Chatham crest
Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Chatham University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Chatham

9
Waynesburg crest
Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, Waynesburg University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Waynesburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Waynesburg University

10
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s public policy degrees 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University

11
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Saint Joseph’s University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. St. Joe’s is a medium-sized school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Joe’s Public Policy Report

12
Saint Vincent crest
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Saint Vincent is a small school located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania that handed out 0 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full Saint Vincent College Public Policy Report

12
University of Scranton crest
University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania

University of Scranton ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Scranton

12
Cabrini University crest
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania

Cabrini University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Cabrini University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Radnor, Pennsylvania. It awarded 0 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at Cabrini University

12
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Swarthmore

12
Pitt Greensburg crest
University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg
Greensburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania list. Pitt Greensburg is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 0 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Greensburg Public Policy Report

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