---

General Public Policy Analysis

Types of Degrees General Public Policy Analysis Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Public Policy Analysis can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	9
Bachelor’s Degree	2,201
Master’s Degree	3,003
Doctor’s Degree	202

What General Public Policy Analysis Majors Need to Know

Studies in General Public Policy Analysis develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Public Policy Analysis graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Public Policy Analysis emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a General Public Policy Analysis program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Public Policy Analysis careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Public Policy Analysis graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Analyzing Data or Information	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Public Policy Analysis professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
WinBUGS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
C	Development environment software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Public Policy Analysis graduates include:

• Political Science Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Political Science Adjunct Instructor
• Political Science Adjunct Professor
• Government Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Political Theory Professor
• International Relations Teacher
• Political Science Faculty Member
• Adjunct Political Science Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Public Administration Teacher
• Lecturer
• International Relations Professor
• Adjunct Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Public Policy Analysis graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	87.9%
Master’s degree	6.6%
Bachelor’s degree	4.3%
Some college courses	0.7%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Public Policy Analysis?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.1% of General Public Policy Analysis degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,258	60.1%
Men	2,161	39.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Public Policy Analysis graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,688	49.6%
Asian	534	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	732	13.5%
Black or African American	510	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	29	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	234	4.3%
Race Unknown	176	3.2%
International Students	512	9.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Public Policy Analysis Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Public Policy Analysis graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,429
4 years	$83,181
5 years	$95,174

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $95,174 — roughly 57% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online General Public Policy Analysis Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for General Public Policy Analysis. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	1
Bachelor’s	8	0
Master’s	15	8
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in General Public Policy Analysis Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, General Public Policy Analysis graduates earn a median of $83,181 four years after completion — roughly 119% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Public Policy Analysis	44.05
Education Policy Analysis	44.0502
Health Policy Analysis	44.0503
International Policy Analysis	44.0504
Public Policy Analysis, Other	44.0599
Reserved	44.0580

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.