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Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region

2023 Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region

23 Colleges
$50,417 Avg Salary
$21,515 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Policy School for You

Public Policy is the #113 most popular major in the country with 6,430 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in the Southeast Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Public Policy Colleges.

Top 10 Best Public Policy Schools

#1

Duke University

Durham, NC

Our analysis found Duke University to be the best school for public policy students who want to pursue a degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

On average, public policy graduates from Duke take out $10,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#2

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Clemson University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Public Policy at Clemson University

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#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region list. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.

Full Public Policy at George Mason University Report

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#4

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region list. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great place for public policy students. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, public policy graduates from UNC Chapel Hill take out $16,162 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $271.

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University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

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#7

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

William & Mary came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg.

On average, public policy graduates from William & Mary take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Public Policy at William & Mary Report

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#8

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

With a ranking of #8, Vanderbilt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public policy students. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

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#9

Augusta University

Augusta, GA

With a ranking of #9, Augusta University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public policy students. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Public Policy at Augusta University Report

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#10

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR

University of Arkansas ranked #10 on this year’s Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region list. UARK is a very large public school located in the city of Fayetteville.

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Best Public Policy Colleges by State

Explore the best public policy schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 87
Virginia 470
North Carolina 463
Florida 13
Tennessee 104
Kentucky 22
South Carolina 2
Louisiana 8
Arkansas 8
Alabama 9
Mississippi 51
West Virginia 23

One of 5 majors within the area of study, public policy has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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