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Public Policy

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 44.0501 - 44.0599.

Types of Degrees Public Policy Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Public Policy may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	9
Bachelor’s Degree	2,466
Master’s Degree	3,461
Doctor’s Degree	243

What Public Policy Majors Need to Know

Programs in Public Policy develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Public Policy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Public Policy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Public Policy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Public Policy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Public Policy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Public Policy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Public Policy graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Instructor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• Public Administration Professor
• Political Science Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Political Theory Professor
• International Relations Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Public Policy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	72.8%
Master’s degree	12.8%
Bachelor’s degree	8.2%
Post-doctoral training	3.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.1%
Some college courses	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%
First professional degree	0.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Public Policy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 61.6% of Public Policy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,811	61.6%
Men	2,372	38.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Public Policy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,037	49.1%
Asian	605	9.8%
Hispanic or Latino	832	13.5%
Black or African American	584	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	31	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	257	4.2%
Race Unknown	203	3.3%
International Students	629	10.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Public Policy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Public Policy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,429
4 years	$83,181
5 years	$95,174

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $95,174 — roughly 57% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Public Policy Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Public Policy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	1
Bachelor’s	8	0
Master’s	21	9
Doctoral (Research)	3	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Public Policy Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Public Policy graduates earn a median of $83,181 four years after completion — roughly 119% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Social Services Public Administration	93,195
Social Work	58,176
Public Administration	13,993
Community Organization and Advocacy	2,651
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other	518
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.