2026 Best Public Policy Schools in the The Plains States Region
Public Policy programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 22 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best public policy schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Public Policy in the The Plains States Region
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
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities tops our 2026 ranking of the best public policy schools. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities awarded about 62 public policy degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the public policy program make about $61,239 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,577 to complete this degree.
Get the full public policy details for University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Washington University In St Louis is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. About 94% of students finish within six years. Washington University In St Louis awarded about 15 public policy degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the public policy program make about $68,303 in their early career. Washington University In St Louis graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans.
See the full public policy program report for Washington University In St Louis
University Of Northern Iowa is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in public policy, ranking #3. University Of Northern Iowa is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 11 public policy degrees were awarded at University Of Northern Iowa in the most recent year. Students who receive their public policy degree from University Of Northern Iowa earn around $46,054 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,635 to complete this degree.
Get the full public policy details for University Of Northern Iowa
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 22 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.
