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Public Policy Analysis Degree

40 schools compared · Average earnings $46,425/yr

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$46,425/yr

Avg DegreeWorth Score

44/100

AI Automation Risk

High

54% task exposure

Best Schools for Public Policy Analysis

Top 40 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Empire State University Saratoga Springs, NY	72 67–73	$52,614/yr	High	16.2x
2	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	69 63–72	$48,252/yr	High	18.5x
3	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	65 60–66	$49,753/yr	High	12.1x
4	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	65 59–67	$42,215/yr	High	15.9x
5	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	64 59–64	$50,643/yr	High	8.8x
6	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA	64 59–63	$48,383/yr	High	9.3x
7	University of Mississippi University, MS	63 55–67	$40,259/yr	High	16.8x
8	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	62 55–67	$49,685/yr	High	11.5x
9	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	62 57–62	$45,642/yr	High	8.9x
10	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	60 54–62	$77,906/yr	High	3.1x
11	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	60 53–62	$73,630/yr	High	3.1x
12	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	60 55–61	$51,082/yr	High	6.4x
13	St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD	58 52–61	$43,629/yr	High	9.6x
14	Duke University Durham, NC	56 49–60	$60,501/yr	High	3.3x
15	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	56 50–59	$49,753/yr	High	—
16	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX	56 52–57	$43,837/yr	High	6.4x
17	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	56 49–59	$39,867/yr	High	9.9x
18	Dickinson College Carlisle, PA	55 49–56	$61,592/yr	High	1.4x
19	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	55 48–59	$60,057/yr	High	2.7x
20	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	55 50–56	$43,005/yr	High	5.7x
21	Brown University Providence, RI	53 48–54	$58,161/yr	High	1.1x
22	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	53 48–54	$57,023/yr	High	1.2x
23	Trinity College Hartford, CT	53 47–54	$56,902/yr	High	1.1x
24	Hamilton College Clinton, NY	53 47–54	$56,158/yr	High	1.1x
25	University of Delaware Newark, DE	52 45–57	$36,796/yr	High	9.6x
26	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	51 46–53	$52,403/yr	High	0.9x
27	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	50 44–52	$48,558/yr	High	1.3x
28	Regent University Virginia Beach, VA	50 45–51	$38,546/yr	High	3.7x
29	William & Mary Williamsburg, VA	49 42–52	$36,703/yr	High	5.4x
30	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	49 44–50	$35,205/yr	High	5.1x
31	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	47 40–51	$32,536/yr	High	7.5x
32	Washington State University Pullman, WA	47 40–52	$30,303/yr	High	9.5x
33	Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX	46 39–50	$40,434/yr	High	2.0x
34	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	46 41–48	$33,424/yr	High	3.8x
35	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	46 41–48	$33,424/yr	High	3.8x
36	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	46 41–48	$33,424/yr	High	3.8x
37	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	46 41–48	$33,424/yr	High	3.8x
38	Brandeis University Waltham, MA	45 39–48	$39,943/yr	High	1.6x
39	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	45 40–46	$33,424/yr	High	3.1x
40	University of Redlands Redlands, CA	43 37–45	$37,888/yr	High	0.6x

Highest Earning Public Policy Analysis Programs

Schools where Public Policy Analysis graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score	AI Risk
Cornell University	$77,906/yr	60	High
Princeton University	$73,630/yr	60	High
Dickinson College	$61,592/yr	55	High
Duke University	$60,501/yr	56	High
University of Chicago	$60,057/yr	55	High
Brown University	$58,161/yr	53	High
Vanderbilt University	$57,023/yr	53	High
Trinity College	$56,902/yr	53	High
Hamilton College	$56,158/yr	53	High
Empire State University	$52,614/yr	72	High

Best ROI for Public Policy Analysis

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Public Policy Analysis.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	18.5x	$48,252/yr	69
University of Mississippi	16.8x	$40,259/yr	63
Empire State University	16.2x	$52,614/yr	72
Georgia State University	15.9x	$42,215/yr	65
Arizona State University Campus Immersion	12.1x	$49,753/yr	65
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	11.5x	$49,685/yr	62
University of California-Riverside	9.9x	$39,867/yr	56
University of Delaware	9.6x	$36,796/yr	52
St. Mary's College of Maryland	9.6x	$43,629/yr	58
Washington State University	9.5x	$30,303/yr	47

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Public Policy Analysis graduates earn?

Across 40 schools, Public Policy Analysis graduates earn an average of $46,425 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $30,303 to $77,906 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Public Policy Analysis?

Public Policy Analysis is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 54% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Public Policy Analysis program?

Based on our DegreeWorth Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Empire State University ranks #1 for Public Policy Analysis with a score of 72/100 and graduate earnings of $52,614/yr.

Is a Public Policy Analysis degree worth it?

On average, Public Policy Analysis graduates earn 6.2x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

About This Data

This page aggregates Public Policy Analysis programs across 40 schools using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI automation risk research from OpenAI and academic institutions.

The DegreeWorth Score (0–100) combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and return on investment. Each school's program page includes three AI scenarios (optimistic, base case, pessimistic) showing how automation could affect 10-year earnings.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.