2026 Best Public Policy Schools in Illinois
Public Policy degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools to find the best for public policy students.
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Best Schools for Public Policy in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the public policy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Public Policy
No school ranked higher than University Of Chicago this year for public policy. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. About 108 public policy degrees were awarded at University Of Chicago in the most recent year. Graduates of the public policy program make about $69,889 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $17,492.
See the full public policy program report for University Of Chicago
Northwestern University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. About 95% of students finish within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 40 public policy degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the public policy program make about $48,558 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $18,750 to complete this degree.
See the full public policy program report for Northwestern University
A rank of #3 makes Adler School Of Professional Psychology one of the top schools for public policy. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. There were roughly 27 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Adler School Of Professional Psychology in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Adler School Of Professional Psychology generally make around $55,542.
Get the full public policy details for Adler School Of Professional Psychology
Students looking for a strong public policy program will find one at Depaul University, which ranked #4. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 19 public policy degrees were awarded at Depaul University in the most recent year. Public Policy graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $52,749 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,310 to complete this degree.
See the full public policy program report for Depaul University
Students looking for a strong public policy program will find one at University Of Illinois At Chicago, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. About 62% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 37 public policy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Chicago generally make around $35,205. Typical student debt for the program is $17,000.
See the full public policy program report for University Of Illinois At Chicago
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.