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Best Value Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts

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2023 Best Value Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Colleges
$39,621 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$57,597 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Policy Master's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 544 degrees and certificates were awarded to public policy students who went to a Massachusetts college or university. This makes it the #65 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.

The Best Value Public Policy Master's Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 8 schools in Massachusetts to see which ones offered the best value master's degree programs for public policy students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts

Check out the public policy master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best Massachusetts Schools for Affordable Quality for a Master's in Public Policy

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Our analysis found Harvard University to be the best value school for public policy students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Massachusetts. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.

Harvard graduate students pay an average of $52,170 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Harvard not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list.

Read full report on Public Policy at Harvard University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Massachusetts - Boston. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. UMass Boston is a large public school located in the city of Boston.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at UMass Boston are $18,938 a year.

Read full report on Public Policy at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#3

Simmons University

Boston, MA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Simmons University is a great value for public policy students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Simmons are $21,546 a year.

Full Public Policy at Simmons University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. UMass Amherst is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Amherst.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at UMass Amherst are $16,251 a year.

Read More…

#5

Boston University

Boston, MA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Boston University is a great value for public policy students working on their master’s degree. Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Boston U are $59,418 per year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Boston U is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list.

Read More…

#6

Suffolk University

Boston, MA

Suffolk University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public policy students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Suffolk is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Suffolk are $39,813 a year.

Read full report on Public Policy at Suffolk University

#7

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA

With a ranking of #7, Brandeis University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public policy students working on their master’s degree. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham.

Brandeis graduate students pay an average of $53,618 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Public Policy at Brandeis University Report

#8

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Tufts University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for public policy students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Tufts are $55,216 per year.

Tufts not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Public Policy Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list.

Read full report on Public Policy at Tufts University

Best Value Public Policy Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Value Public Policy Colleges in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Connecticut 153
New Hampshire 23
Maine 27
Rhode Island 154
Vermont 21

Public Policy is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

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 8 schools only.

  • 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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