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2024 Best Public Policy Schools in District of Columbia

3 Colleges in District of Columbia
320 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$67,076 Avg Early-Career Salary
Public Policy is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #113 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 3 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Policy Schools in District of Columbia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 320 degrees in public policy during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Public Policy School

Best Public Policy Schools in District of Columbia The public policy program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Policy rankings. For our Best Overall Public Policy School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Public Policy Rankings by Degree Level

Master's Degrees in Public Policy
Doctor's Degrees in Public Policy

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 the Best Public Policy Schools in District of Columbia. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Public Policy in District of Columbia

The schools below may not offer all types of public policy degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top District of Columbia Schools in Public Policy

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$71,176 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in public policy needs to check out George Washington University. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 69 public policy students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Public Policy degree recipients from George Washington University get an earnings boost of about $4,100 above the typical earnings of public policy graduates.

More information about a degree in public policy from George Washington University

2
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
11.9% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Georgetown University if you want to pursue a degree in public policy. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 201 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Public Policy degree recipients from Georgetown University earn a boost of approximately $3,669 over the average earnings of public policy graduates.

More information about a degree in public policy from Georgetown University

3
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$59,308 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in public policy needs to look into American University. The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. This university ranks 3rd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were about 50 public policy students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public policy program make about $59,308 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in public policy from American University

Best Public Policy Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Public Policy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 317
New York 333 369
Maryland 279 223
New Jersey 273 284
Delaware 175 46

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Public Policy has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Policy Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis 320

View All Public Policy Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Public Policy

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 292
Human Services 19

View All Public Policy Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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