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2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Policy

97 Colleges in the United States
2,524 Bachelor's Degrees
$41,244 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in public policy, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #126 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many colleges that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual reviewed 97 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the most popular for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of public policy. Combined, these schools handed out 2,524 bachelor's degrees in public policy to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Policy School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Policy Your choice of school for getting your bachelor's degree in public policy matters. We created our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Policy ranking to make it a little easier to choose the right one for you.

Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of public policy students usually has them for a reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Public Policy
Master's Degrees in Public Policy
Doctor's Degrees in Public Policy
Overall Popularity in Public Policy

This is not our only ranking, nor the only degree level we have ranked. In addition to this ranking, you may want to take at the rankings for different degree levels as called out above. You can also narrow your search by location by filtering for a certain area of the country. Plus, you can view our other rankings for public policy.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

The following list ranks the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in public policy. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

14 Most Well Attended Schools for Public Policy Students Working on Their Bachelor's

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
233 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NC
#1 Best Quality In NC

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Duke University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in public policy. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in North Carolina.

There were about 233 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.

Those public policy students who get their bachelor's degree from Duke University earn $18,056 more than the average public policy graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Duke University

2
168 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In NC
#2 Best Quality In NC

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in public policy needs to check out University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in North Carolina.

There were about 168 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, public policy bachelor's recipients typically earn around $38,500 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
129 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

University of Chicago is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in public policy. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Illinois.

There were approximately 129 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the public policy major at University of Chicago get $10,556 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from University of Chicago

4
108 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NJ
#1 Best Quality In NJ

Princeton University is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in public policy. Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in New Jersey.

There were about 108 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available.

Public Policy bachelor's degree recipients from Princeton University get an earnings boost of approximately $21,856 above the average income of public policy majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Princeton University

5
89 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AZ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, public policy bachelor's recipients typically make about $35,600 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Arizona State University - Tempe

6
88 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#1 Best Quality In MA

Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Waltham. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Massachusetts.

There were approximately 88 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the public policy program state that they receive average early career earnings of $35,900.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Brandeis University

7
84 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In AZ
#1 Best Quality In AZ

ASU - Skysong is a very large public university located in the city of Scottsdale. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Arizona.

There were roughly 84 public policy students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Skysong in the most recent data year.

After graduation, public policy bachelor's recipients typically earn around $35,600 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Arizona State University - Skysong

8
83 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#3 Best Quality In CA

UCR is a very large public university located in the city of Riverside. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in California.

There were approximately 83 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduation, public policy bachelor's recipients usually earn an average of $27,100 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from University of California - Riverside

9
82 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In VA
#1 Best Quality In VA

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Virginia.

There were roughly 82 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from University of Virginia - Main Campus

10
77 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MI
#1 Best Quality In MI

Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Michigan.

There were roughly 77 public policy students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year.

Those public policy students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $8,856 more than the typical public policy graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

11
68 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MD
#1 Best Quality In MD

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Maryland.

There were roughly 68 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from University of Maryland - College Park

12
66 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In IL
#2 Best Quality In IL

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Illinois.

There were approximately 66 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the public policy program make about $35,100 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Northwestern University

13
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
60 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In RI
#1 Best Quality In RI

Brown is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Providence. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in Rhode Island.

There were roughly 60 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Brown University

14
58 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NY
#1 Best Quality In NY

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in public policy in New York.

There were about 58 public policy individuals who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the public policy program at Cornell University make $14,256 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in public policy from Cornell University

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Policy award.

RankCollegeLocation
15University of MississippiUniversity, MS
16University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
16William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
18SUNY Empire State CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
19University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
20Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
21Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
22University of DelawareNewark, DE
22Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
24Trinity CollegeHartford, CT

Public Policy by Region

View the Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Public Policy for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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One of 5 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Policy has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Policy Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis2,294
Health Policy Analysis131
International Policy Analysis99

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Social Work21,855
Human Services6,126
Public Administration3,117
Community Organization & Advocacy1,863
Other Public Administration307

Notes and References

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