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Public Policy at Harvard University

If you plan to study Public Policy, take a look at what Harvard University. We’ve gathered the following information to help you decide.

Harvard University is located in Cambridge, MA.

During the most recent reporting year, 170 public policy degrees were awarded at Harvard University.

Online & Distance Learning at Harvard University

Online coursework is an option at Harvard University. Of 30,259 students, 7,584 (25%) studied exclusively online and 1,603 (5%) took at least some classes online.

Public Policy Rankings at Harvard University

Rankings can help you compare Harvard University’s Public Policy program against other schools offering the same major.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Value	Massachusetts	#1 of 8
Best Value	New England (Region)	#1 of 15
Best Schools (Quality)	Massachusetts	#3 of 8
Best Schools (Quality)	New England (Region)	#3 of 15
Best Value	Nationwide	#27 of 95
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#34 of 96

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Value	Massachusetts	#1 of 8
Best Value	New England (Region)	#1 of 15
Best Schools (Quality)	Massachusetts	#3 of 8
Best Schools (Quality)	New England (Region)	#3 of 15
Best Value	Nationwide	#27 of 95
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#34 of 96

Earnings for Public Policy Graduates from Harvard University

Students who complete Harvard University’s Public Policy program earn at the following median levels (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$76,875
2 years	$84,568
3 years	$92,000
4 years	$110,250
5 years	$134,477

How does this compare to the school overall? At the four-year mark, Public Policy graduates from Harvard University earn a median of $110,250, compared with $136,975 for all Harvard University graduates — about 20% lower than the school-wide median.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Take a look at the student demographics for Public Policy graduates at Harvard University, broken down by degree level.

Looking at the program as a whole, Public Policy graduates at Harvard University are 52% women (88) and 48% men (82).

Public Policy Master’s Program at Harvard University

Among the 159 master’s public policy graduates at Harvard University, 50% were women (80) and 50% were men (79).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Public Policy master’s degree recipients at Harvard University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	68
Hispanic / Latino	11
Black / African American	11
Asian	34
Two or More Races	9
International (Nonresident)	24
Unknown	2

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 41% of Public Policy master’s degree recipients at Harvard University, higher than the national average of 33%.*

Public Policy Doctoral Program at Harvard University

Among the 11 doctoral public policy graduates at Harvard University, 73% were women (8) and 27% were men (3).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Public Policy doctoral degree recipients at Harvard University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	7
Hispanic / Latino	1
Black / African American	1
Asian	1
International (Nonresident)	1

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 27% of Public Policy doctoral degree recipients at Harvard University, below the national average of 31%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Public Policy Concentrations at Harvard University

This Public Policy program at Harvard University offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis	156
Education Policy Analysis	9
Health Policy Analysis	3
Other Public Policy Analysis	2

Highest-Paying Careers for Public Policy Graduates

Graduates of the Public Policy program at Harvard University go on to a range of careers. Below are the highest-paying careers for Public Policy graduates, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Legislators	$167,600
Medical and Health Services Managers	$129,557
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	$98,329
Political Scientists	$71,521
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$66,472
Transportation Planners	$50,855
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	$46,663
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	$42,168
Social Science Research Assistants	$41,630

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.