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2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate

53 Ranked Colleges
241 Degrees Awarded
$77,523 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 241 public policy graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 for a Doctorate

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate”.

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students 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 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%.

Full Harvard Public Policy Report

2
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brandeis University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Brandeis University Public Policy Report

3
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

Out of the 53 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Fairfax, Virginia, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public policy students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at George Mason University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public policy degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 University of Nevada - Las Vegas

4

Out of the 53 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - Baltimore County landed the #4 spot on the list. UMBC is a fairly large public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 12 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Public Policy at UMBC

6

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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 0.8% 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

6

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. UT Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 The University of Texas at Dallas

8
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #8, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. UARK is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 University of Arkansas

8
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. Capella University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 8 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Capella University Public Policy Report

8

With a ranking of #8, Southern University and A & M College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. Southern University and A & M College is a public institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Southern University and A & M College Public Policy Report

8

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 8 doctorate’s public policy degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

12

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #12. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public policy degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Full UMass Boston Public Policy Report

12
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #12, George Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. George Washington University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 7 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at GWU

12
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

With a ranking of #12, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. New School University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s 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 more about Public Policy at New School University

15

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 6 doctorate’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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at ASU - Tempe

15

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Public Policy at University of California - Berkeley

17

University of Southern Maine ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. This medium-sized school is located in Portland, Maine, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Southern Maine

17
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 more about Public Policy at University of Southern California

17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at U-M

17

Michigan Technological University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houghton, Michigan, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Michigan Technological University Public Policy Report

17
Niagara crest
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York

Niagara University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Niagara University, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Niagara Public Policy Report

17
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. Georgia State is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Georgia State Public Policy Report

17

Portland State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 5 doctorate’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Policy at Portland State University

24

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

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

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. North Dartmouth, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public policy degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

24

With a ranking of #24, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s public policy degrees 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%. 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 UNC Chapel Hill Public Policy Report

24
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

With a ranking of #24, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. Oregon State is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Oregon State

24

With a ranking of #24, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 4 doctorate’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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Charlotte Public Policy Report

24

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 4 doctorate’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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Policy at Georgia Tech

24

With a ranking of #24, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major for a Doctorate list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Policy at UT Austin

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References

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