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Public Policy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

What traits are you looking for in a school for Public Policy, you may want to check out the program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We’ve gathered the following information to help you decide.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University sits in Blacksburg, VA.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 50 public policy degrees were granted at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Online Class Availability at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Distance learning is available at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Of 38,857 students, 1,577 (4%) studied exclusively online and 19,313 (50%) took at least some classes online.

Earnings for Public Policy Graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Those who finish Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s Public Policy program report the following median earnings (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
2 years	$43,575
3 years	$42,933
4 years	$55,179
5 years	$68,384

How do these earnings stack up against the rest of the school? At the four-year mark, Public Policy graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University report median earnings of $55,179, compared with $77,896 for all Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates — about 29% lower than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

The median debt for Public Policy graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University stands at $15,468.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Below you’ll find the composition of Public Policy graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, by degree type.

Program-wide, Public Policy graduates at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are 56% women (28) and 44% men (22).

Public Policy Bachelor’s Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Of the 48 bachelor’s public policy degrees awarded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 56% were women (27) and 44% were men (21).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Public Policy bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	29
Hispanic / Latino	10
Black / African American	3
Asian	2
Two or More Races	1
International (Nonresident)	1
Unknown	2

Minority students account for 33% of Public Policy bachelor’s degree recipients at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, below the national average of 45%.*

*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 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

The Public Policy program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University includes the following sub-specializations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Public Policy Analysis	50

Best-Paid Careers for Public Policy Graduates

Students who finish Public Policy program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University pursue many career paths. Below are the highest-paying careers for Public Policy majors, 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.