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2024 Best Public Policy Schools in Virginia

6 Colleges in Virginia
470 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$54,843 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in public policy is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #113 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 6 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Public Policy Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 470 degrees in public policy to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Public Policy School

Best Public Policy Schools in Virginia 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public policy schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Public Policy Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Public Policy in Virginia

If you aren't 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 Virginia Schools in Public Policy

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$67,617 Median Starting Salary

George Mason University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in public policy. GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. This university ranks 5th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 88 public policy students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Public Policy degree recipients from George Mason University earn a boost of about $12,774 over the typical earnings of public policy graduates.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
4.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in public policy. University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 165 public policy students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, public policy degree recipients typically earn about $54,807 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public policy from University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$50,770 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in public policy needs to look into William & Mary. Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were about 55 public policy students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients generally earn an average of $50,770 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in public policy from William & Mary

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In VA

Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in public policy. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 27 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in public policy from Virginia Tech

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$50,253 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 98 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public policy program report average early career wages of $50,253.

More information about a degree in public policy from Liberty University

6
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In VA
37 Public Policy Degrees Awarded

Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Virginia Beach. This university ranks 20th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 37 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in public policy from Regent University

Best Public Policy Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 86
Florida 282 13
North Carolina 279 463
Tennessee 269 81
South Carolina 248 2
Kentucky 244 9
Louisiana 242 8
Mississippi 234 51
Arkansas 234 8
Alabama 233 9
West Virginia 207 23

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 466
Health Policy Analysis 3
Education Policy Analysis 1

View All Public Policy Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 604
Human Services 64
Other Public Administration 8
Community Organization & Advocacy 1

View All Public Policy Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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