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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy

118 Ranked Colleges
3,153 Degrees Awarded
$57,597 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's 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. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,153 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major” ranking, we looked at 118 colleges that offer a degree in public policy. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their public policy program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Policy Schools

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The public policy school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major

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

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree 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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Public Policy at Princeton

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 259 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Chicago

3
Adler crest
Adler University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 118 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Adler University landed the #3 spot on the list. Adler is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Adler University

4
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 #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major. Trinity College is a small school located in Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 20 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at Trinity College

5
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Out of the 118 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 201 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Georgetown Public Policy Report

6
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

Mills College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 9 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mills College Public Policy Report

7
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s public policy degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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 more about Public Policy at Brandeis University

8
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

With a ranking of #8, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at CLU

9
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Brown University is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 59 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Brown Public Policy Report

10
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 172 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Harvard

11

Teachers College at Columbia University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 31 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 at Columbia University Public Policy Report

12
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 62 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University

13
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 76 masters’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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Duke University

14
JU crest
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. JU is a small school located in Jacksonville, Florida that handed out 13 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Full JU Public Policy Report

15

University of Southern Maine ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Portland, Maine, this medium-sized public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern Maine Public Policy Report

16
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 89 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus

17
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. American University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 47 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on Public Policy at American University

18
Tuskegee crest
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

Tuskegee University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Tuskegee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tuskegee, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Policy at Tuskegee

19
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Malibu, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pepperdine University Public Policy Report

20
Etown crest
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking, coming in at #20. Etown is a small school located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 masters’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Elizabethtown College Public Policy Report

21

University of St. Thomas ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. UST is located in Houston, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at University of St. Thomas

22

University of Washington - Bothell Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. Located in Bothell, Washington, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Washington - Bothell Campus

23
DelVal crest
Delaware Valley University
Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Delaware Valley University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major ranking. Located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Full Delaware Valley University Public Policy Report

24
UMass Dartmouth crest
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. This medium-sized school is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and it awarded 16 masters’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at UMass Dartmouth

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Public Policy Major list. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 98 masters’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Maryland - College Park

Notes and References

References

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