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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

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Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking.

Public Policy is the 113th most popular major in the country with 6,430 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,628 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,681 and $21,366 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking looked at 54 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.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Public Policy in the Middle Atlantic Region

1
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #1 spot on the list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Public Policy at Princeton

2
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Gettysburg College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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.

Full Gettysburg Public Policy Report

3
Siena crest
Siena College
Loudonville, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Siena College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Siena College Public Policy Report

4
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Out of the 54 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Barnard College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 21 ’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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Public Policy at Barnard College

5
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hamilton College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Clinton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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. 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 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hamilton College Public Policy Report

6
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York

SUNY Empire State College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. SUNY Empire State College is located in Saratoga Springs, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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 more about Public Policy at SUNY Empire

7
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Georgetown University Public Policy Report

8
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #8. Dickinson is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Full Dickinson College Public Policy Report

9
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St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. St. Mary’s City, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 full report on Public Policy at SMCM

10
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #10. W&J is a small school located in Washington, Pennsylvania that handed out 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Policy at Washington & Jefferson College

11

Teachers College at Columbia University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. 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 33 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Teachers College

12

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 235 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Public Policy Report

13
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 75 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Full Carnegie Mellon Public Policy Report

14
Susquehanna crest
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Susquehanna University

15
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. The American University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 ’s 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 The American University

16
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #16, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.

Read more about Public Policy at Cornell

17
Etown crest
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Elizabethtown College is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at Etown

18
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. The New School is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 24 ’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.

Read full report on Public Policy at New School University

19
DelVal crest
Delaware Valley University
Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Delaware Valley University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #19. Delaware Valley University is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Public Policy at Delaware Valley University

20
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Delaware

21
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. George Washington University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 69 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at George Washington University

22
YCP crest
York College of Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. York College of Pennsylvania is a small school located in York, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at YCP

23
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

With a ranking of #23, University at Albany did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in Albany, New York, and it awarded 34 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at UAlbany

24
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 ’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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duquesne University Public Policy Report

25

University of Maryland - Baltimore County ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Public Policy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 21 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full UMBC Public Policy Report

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