2026 Best Public Policy Schools in Tennessee

Public Policy programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their public policy programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public policy students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Public Policy Schools in Tennessee

Best Schools for Public Policy in Tennessee

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

1

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

19 Public Policy Degrees Awarded

$60,174 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than Vanderbilt University this year for public policy. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. Vanderbilt University graduates 94% of students within six years. About 19 public policy degrees were awarded at Vanderbilt University in the most recent year. Students who receive their public policy degree from Vanderbilt University earn around $60,174 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,975. Get the full public policy details for Vanderbilt University

2

Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

12 Public Policy Degrees Awarded

$45,060 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes Tennessee State University one of the top schools for public policy. Set in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public institution. About 35% of students finish within six years. About 12 public policy degrees were awarded at Tennessee State University in the most recent year. Public Policy graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $45,060 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $29,489. Read more about the public policy program at Tennessee State University

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 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.