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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Public Policy in the Southeast Region

17 Ranked Colleges
718 Degrees Awarded
$38,895 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s” 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 1,260 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,417 and $21,515 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 718 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,400 and $27,180 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in public policy. To top this list, a school must have a successful public policy program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s

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

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 190 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Duke University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 186 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Public Policy Report

3
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Virginia - Main Campus

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 52 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full William & Mary Public Policy Report

5
Ole Miss crest
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mississippi. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. University of Mississippi is located in University, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Mississippi Public Policy Report

6
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It awarded 37 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Regent University Public Policy Report

7
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #7, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 35 bachelors’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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Vanderbilt University

8
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 27 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 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Virginia Tech

9
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at Georgia State

10

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

11
Mercer crest
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia

Mercer University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Mercer University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Macon, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Mercer

12
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Augusta University is a medium-sized public school situated in Augusta, Georgia. It awarded 6 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Augusta University Public Policy Report

13
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #13, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 93%. 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 Emory

13
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Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at TNU

15
Oakwood crest
Oakwood University
Huntsville, Alabama

Oakwood University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Huntsville, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s public policy degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Oakwood Public Policy Report

15
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Young Harris College
Young Harris, Georgia

Young Harris College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Young Harris, Georgia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Public Policy at Young Harris College

17
Elon crest
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina

Elon University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Elon, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 0 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 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%.

Full Elon University Public Policy Report

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