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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Public Policy in the Southeast Region

32 Ranked Colleges
1,260 Degrees Awarded
$31,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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” 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region”.

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 269 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Public Policy at Duke University

2

Out of the 32 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Public Policy Report

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

Out of the 32 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region 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 165 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Read more about Public Policy at University of Virginia

4
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George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

Out of the 32 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #4 spot on the list. George Mason University is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 88 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full GMU Public Policy Report

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Liberty University Public Policy Report

6
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 59 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 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%. 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.

Read more about Public Policy at Vanderbilt

7
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William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Public Policy at William & Mary

8
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University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi

With a ranking of #8, University of Mississippi did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in University, Mississippi, and it awarded 51 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Ole Miss Public Policy Report

9
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Regent University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at Regent

10

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #10. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

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 full report on Public Policy at Georgia Tech

11
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Georgia State University is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 30 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at Georgia State

12
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Virginia Tech Public Policy Report

13

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #13. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Public Policy Report

13
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American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read more about Public Policy at American Military University

15
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Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Public Policy at Jacksonville University

16
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Mercer University
Macon, Georgia

Mercer University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Macon, Georgia, and it awarded 10 ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Public Policy at Mercer

17
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University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

With a ranking of #17, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at UK

18
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #18, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. UARK is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 8 ’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 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Arkansas

18

Southern University and A & M College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s public policy students in 2020-2021.

Full Southern University and A & M College Public Policy Report

20
Tuskegee crest
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

Tuskegee University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. This small school is located in Tuskegee, Alabama, and it awarded 7 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Policy at Tuskegee

21
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Marshall University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region list. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Public Policy at Marshall University

21
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Augusta University is located in Augusta, Georgia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s public policy degrees to qualified 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 full report on Public Policy at Augusta University

23

University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public policy degrees to 4 students 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

24
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas 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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Public Policy at Emory University

24
TNU crest
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Policy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Trevecca Nazarene University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s public policy degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Policy at TNU

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References

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