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Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy

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Bachelor’s Degrees in Public Policy

2,577 Yearly Graduations
$37,566 Median Salary
$21,000 Median Debt
There are 109 schools in the United States where you can get your bachelor's degree in public policy. Among those who recently graduated from the schools offering this degree, the majority were women, and 41% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 3.1% of public policy graduates were international students.

Education Levels of Public Policy Majors

During the most recent year for which data is available, 2,577 people earned their bachelor's degree in public policy. This earns it the #121 spot on the list of the most popular bachelor's degree programs in the nation.

The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in public policy at each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 3,213
Bachelor’s Degree 2,577
Graduate Certificate 298
Doctor’s Degree 260
Basic Certificate 132
Associate Degree 2
Undergraduate Certificate 2

Earnings of Public Policy Majors With Bachelor’s Degrees

The median salary for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in public policy is $37,566. This number may vary for a lot of reasons. For instance, you may decide to move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money. To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $29,885 to a high of $43,024.

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Student Debt

The median student debt for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in public policy is $21,000. The length of time it takes you to graduate and what college you attend can affect this number quite a bit. The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $24,250 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $17,246.

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The median monthly payment of a public policy graduate with a 10-year repayment plan is $307.

Student Diversity

More women than men pursue their bachelor's degree in public policy. About 63.8% of graduates with this degree are female.

Gender Number of Grads
Men 932
Women 1,645
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The racial-ethnic distribution of public policy bachelor’s degree students is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 284
Black or African American 237
Hispanic or Latino 405
White 1,359
International Students 79
Other Races/Ethnicities 213
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There are 109 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in public policy. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
190 Yearly Graduations
64% Women
43% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The most popular school in the United States for public policy students seekinga bachelor's degree is Duke University. Roughly 16,100 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,435 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $60,220 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 190 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Duke. About 64% of this group were women, and 43% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
186 Yearly Graduations
70% Women
35% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 30,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,019 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,552 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 186 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from UNC Chapel Hill. About 70% of this group were women, and 35% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#3

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
123 Yearly Graduations
56% Women
39% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Princeton University is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public policy. Roughly 7,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $57,410 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $57,410 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 123 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Princeton. Around 39% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 56% were women.

#4

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
113 Yearly Graduations
86% Women
43% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Brandeis University is the 4th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public policy. Roughly 5,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $61,724 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $55,104 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 113 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Brandeis. Of these students, 86% were women and 43% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
105 Yearly Graduations
69% Women
53% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 5th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of Chicago. Roughly 17,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $61,179 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $65,145 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 105 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from UChicago. Around 53% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 69% were women.

97 Yearly Graduations
47% Women
64% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Arizona State University - Tempe is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public policy. Each year, around 74,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,978 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,014 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 97 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from ASU - Tempe. About 47% of this group were women, and 64% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#7

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
91 Yearly Graduations
62% Women
84% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 7th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of California - Riverside. Each year, around 26,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,564 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,700 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 91 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from UCR. Of these students, 62% were women and 84% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#8

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
89 Yearly Graduations
67% Women
33% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Maryland - College Park is the 8th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public policy. Each year, around 40,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,695 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,238 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 89 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from UMCP. About 67% of this group were women, and 33% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#9

SUNY Empire State College

Saratoga Springs, New York
83 Yearly Graduations
45% Women
27% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 9th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is SUNY Empire State College. Each year, around 10,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,070 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,310 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 83 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from SUNY Empire. About 45% of this group were women, and 27% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
82 Yearly Graduations
64% Women
27% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 47,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $17,454 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $25,894 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 82 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from U-M. Of these students, 64% were women and 27% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#11

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
81 Yearly Graduations
44% Women
44% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Arizona State University - Skysong is the 11th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public policy. Each year, around 53,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,978 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,972 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 81 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from ASU - Skysong. Around 44% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 44% were women.

#12

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
76 Yearly Graduations
69% Women
26% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Virginia - Main Campus comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 25,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $18,059 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,382 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 76 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from University of Virginia. Of these students, 69% were women and 26% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
73 Yearly Graduations
61% Women
46% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 13th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Cornell University. Roughly 23,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $62,456 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $29,500 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 73 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Cornell. Of these students, 61% were women and 46% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#14

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
68 Yearly Graduations
60% Women
40% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 14th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Brown University. Each year, around 9,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $62,680 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $62,680 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 68 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Brown. Of these students, 60% were women and 40% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
61 Yearly Graduations
78% Women
66% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 15th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of California - Los Angeles. Roughly 44,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,564 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,700 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 61 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from UCLA. Around 66% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 78% were women.

#16

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
52 Yearly Graduations
54% Women
23% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 16th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is William & Mary. Roughly 8,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $17,434 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,516 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 52 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from William & Mary. Of these students, 54% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#17

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
51 Yearly Graduations
51% Women
7% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 17th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of Mississippi. Roughly 21,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,072 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,072 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 51 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Ole Miss. Around 7% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 51% were women.

49 Yearly Graduations
68% Women
39% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Southern Methodist University is the 18th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in public policy. Roughly 12,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $55,012 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $31,590 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 49 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from SMU. Of these students, 68% were women and 39% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#19

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
45 Yearly Graduations
87% Women
45% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Northwestern University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public policy. Roughly 22,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $62,391 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $51,869 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 45 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from Northwestern. Around 45% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 87% were women.

#20

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
44 Yearly Graduations
73% Women
18% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Delaware comes in at #20 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degrees in public policy. Roughly 23,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,370 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $17,622 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 44 people received their bachelor's degree in public policy from UD. Around 18% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 73% were women.

Public Policy Concentrations

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
2,285
152
137
3

Below are some popular majors that are similar to public policy that offer bachelor’s degrees.

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
6,016
2,694
1,688
285

References

*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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