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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in Pennsylvania

16 Ranked Colleges
125 Degrees Awarded
$50,129 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 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 “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in public policy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular public policy programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s”.

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 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Gettysburg

2
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 27 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Public Policy Report

3
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Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duquesne University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Duquesne University

4
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dickinson College. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Dickinson College

5
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Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 11 students 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 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 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 full report on Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University

6
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Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 bachelors’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full Susquehanna University Public Policy Report

7
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. W&J is located in Washington, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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.

Read more about Public Policy at Washington & Jefferson College

8
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Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Chatham University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chatham University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2 bachelors’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%. 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.

Read more about Public Policy at Chatham University

8
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Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Ursinus College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Ursinus College 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.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Policy at Ursinus College

10
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Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Saint Joseph’s University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Joseph’s University is a medium-sized school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Saint Joseph’s University

10
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Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

Waynesburg University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Waynesburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Waynesburg

12
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 0 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Policy at Swarthmore College

12
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Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Saint Vincent

12
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Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania

Cabrini University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking. Cabrini University is located in Radnor, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Policy at Cabrini University

12
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University of Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #12, University of Scranton did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s list. Scranton, 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.

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

Read more about Public Policy at University of Scranton

12

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in Pennsylvania for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Pitt Greensburg

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References

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