Master’s Degrees in Public Policy
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Education Levels of Public Policy Majors
In 2020-2021, 3,153 master's degrees were awarded to public policy majors. This makes it the 55th most popular master's degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in public policy at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 3,153 |
| Graduate Certificate | 343 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 241 |
Earnings of Public Policy Majors With Master’s Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding a master's degree in public policy is $58,341. This number may vary for a lot of reasons. For instance, you may decide to move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money. To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $49,383 to a high of $64,530.
Student Debt
The data on debt ranges for public policy majors who have their master's degree is not available.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their master's degree in public policy. About 58.9% of graduates with this degree are female.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 1,295 |
| Women | 1,858 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of public policy master’s degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 204 |
| Black or African American | 273 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 345 |
| White | 1,506 |
| International Students | 576 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 249 |
Most Popular Public Policy Programs for Master’s Degrees
There are 119 colleges that offer a master’s degree in public policy. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
University of Chicago tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree. Each year, around 17,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,256 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $62,640 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 259 people received their master's degree in public policy from UChicago. Around 30% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 58% were women.
Georgetown University comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 19,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,784 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $54,672 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 201 master's degrees were handed out to public policy majors at Georgetown. Around 29% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 56% were women.
The 3rd most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is Harvard University. Each year, around 30,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $51,143 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $50,928 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 172 people received their master's degree in public policy from Harvard. About 55% of this group were women, and 28% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 4th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Roughly 47,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,865 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $24,902 per year. The public policy program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor awarded 122 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 34% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 57% were women.
University of Southern California comes in at #5 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 46,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,446 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $60,446 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 108 master's degrees were handed out to public policy majors at USC. Around 24% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 48% were women.
University of California - Berkeley is the 5th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Each year, around 42,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 108 master's degrees were handed out to public policy majors at UC Berkeley. Around 41% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 56% were women.
The 7th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is The University of Texas at Austin. Roughly 50,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,752 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,050 per year. The public policy program at The University of Texas at Austin awarded 99 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 61% were women and 37% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 8th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Maryland - College Park. Roughly 40,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,000 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $15,360 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 98 people received their master's degree in public policy from UMCP. About 60% of this group were women, and 37% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 9th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is Princeton University. Each year, around 7,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $56,010 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $56,010 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 97 people received their master's degree in public policy from Princeton. About 46% of this group were women, and 39% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of Virginia - Main Campus comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 25,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,547 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $17,674 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 89 people received their master's degree in public policy from University of Virginia. Around 18% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 51% were women.
The 11th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is Liberty University. Roughly 93,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,409 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,847 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 81 people received their master's degree in public policy from Liberty University. Of these students, 47% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Duke University is the 12th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Each year, around 16,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,085 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $57,900 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 76 master's degrees were handed out to public policy majors at Duke. Of these students, 62% were women and 34% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
George Mason University comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 38,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,510 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,035 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 74 people received their master's degree in public policy from GMU. Around 32% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 42% were women.
The 14th most popular school in the country for public policy majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of California - Los Angeles. Each year, around 44,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. The public policy program at University of California - Los Angeles awarded 70 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 30% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 66% were women.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is the 15th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Roughly 52,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,532 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $17,844 per year. The public policy program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities awarded 69 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 55% were women and 25% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
George Washington University is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Each year, around 27,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $57,894 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $32,850 per year. The public policy program at George Washington University awarded 62 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 65% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Carnegie Mellon University is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in public policy. Roughly 13,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $57,560 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $46,441 per year. The public policy program at Carnegie Mellon University awarded 62 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 21% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 73% were women.
Brown University comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 9,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,944 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $60,944 per year. The public policy program at Brown University awarded 59 master's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 53% were women and 22% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Brandeis University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Each year, around 5,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,408 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $53,498 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 58 master's degrees were handed out to public policy majors at Brandeis. About 71% of this group were women, and 26% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
University of California - San Diego comes in at #20 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in public policy. Roughly 39,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 57 people received their master's degree in public policy from UCSD. Around 16% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 63% were women.
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to public policy that offer master’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 32,218 |
| Public Administration | 12,290 |
| Human Services | 1,153 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 633 |
| Other Public Administration | 213 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By The Official CTBTO Photostream under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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