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Best Schools for Public Policy in 2026

40 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Public Policy, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Public Policy graduate earns $46,425/yr across 40 schools.

Programs Ranked
40
Avg Earnings
$46,425/yr
Avg DW Score
55/100
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure

All Public Policy Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

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

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Public Policy?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, Empire State University ranks #1 for Public Policy with a score of 72/100 and graduate earnings of $52,614/yr.
How much do Public Policy graduates earn?
Across 40 schools, Public Policy graduates earn an average of $46,425/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $77,906/yr.
Is Public Policy a good major for AI resistance?
Public Policy has an average AI task exposure of 54%, rated "High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
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.