Grad school ยท Public administration and social work
Public Policy Analysis graduate programs: earnings and debt by school
108 colleges award master's degrees in public policy analysis. Graduates of the typical program earned $73,792 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $41,000 in federal loans taken at the school.
Master's programs108
Graduates in 2023-242,802
Typical median debt$41,000
Typical earnings 1 yr after$73,792
Typical earnings 4 yrs after$88,420
Earnings to debt1.8x
Official field: Public Policy Analysis. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.
| Degree level | Programs | Typical earnings 1 yr after | Typical median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 108 | $73,792 | $41,000 |
| Doctoral | 45 | $89,800 | $42,888 |
Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay
Each dot is one master's program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.
Master's programs in public policy analysis
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA | 159 | $102,390 | $129,978 | $75,236 |
| Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ | 92 | $98,226 | $120,163 | n/a |
| University of ChicagoChicago, IL | 3 | $88,156 | $112,727 | $58,891 |
| Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC | 86 | $94,735 | $110,634 | $20,500 |
| Duke UniversityDurham, NC | 113 | $79,570 | $109,274 | $65,858 |
| Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD | 62 | n/a | $107,692 | n/a |
| University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | 123 | $81,950 | $107,392 | $41,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA | 0 | $80,486 | $103,268 | $63,052 |
| University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA | 63 | $67,631 | $100,925 | $38,050 |
| University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, VA | 91 | $74,004 | $99,110 | $41,000 |
| American UniversityWashington, DC | 97 | $73,753 | $98,588 | $47,247 |
| George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA | 81 | $83,794 | $97,926 | $35,350 |
| University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT | 28 | $65,213 | $96,919 | n/a |
| University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD | 98 | $75,502 | $96,792 | $40,448 |
| Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN | 8 | $69,969 | $96,305 | $41,000 |
| George Washington UniversityWashington, DC | 61 | $73,831 | $94,862 | $48,674 |
| University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA | 82 | $75,415 | $94,114 | $43,913 |
| Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 61 | $65,771 | $91,832 | $41,000 |
| The New SchoolNew York, NY | 11 | $80,469 | $89,713 | n/a |
| Rutgers University-CamdenCamden, NJ | 14 | $79,412 | $89,111 | $30,750 |
| Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ | 34 | $79,412 | $89,111 | $30,750 |
| University of Massachusetts-DartmouthNorth Dartmouth, MA | 17 | $70,981 | $87,730 | n/a |
| Brown UniversityProvidence, RI | 45 | $77,601 | $87,139 | $41,468 |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX | 113 | $77,710 | $84,618 | $41,586 |
| University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, WA | 8 | n/a | $84,234 | n/a |
| University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, MA | 30 | $56,212 | $82,435 | $20,500 |
| The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | 4 | $56,591 | $82,094 | n/a |
| Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA | 27 | $66,766 | $81,037 | $41,000 |
| William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA | 6 | n/a | $80,402 | n/a |
| University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN | 62 | $69,052 | $80,100 | $41,000 |
| Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA | 58 | $70,644 | $79,908 | $45,298 |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 32 | $66,113 | $78,939 | n/a |
| Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA | 46 | $76,003 | $78,054 | $33,090 |
| Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY | 22 | n/a | $77,523 | n/a |
| University of California-RiversideRiverside, CA | 19 | $59,133 | $76,103 | $45,000 |
| University of New Hampshire-Main CampusDurham, NH | 11 | $65,574 | $75,424 | $21,225 |
| University of California-IrvineIrvine, CA | 15 | $57,891 | $75,045 | n/a |
| Portland State UniversityPortland, OR | 9 | n/a | $73,504 | n/a |
| Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI | 9 | $61,127 | $72,828 | n/a |
| Trinity CollegeHartford, CT | 7 | $58,156 | $72,738 | n/a |
| University of HoustonHouston, TX | 14 | $75,092 | $72,392 | n/a |
| University of Southern MainePortland, ME | 17 | $62,062 | $66,469 | $23,450 |
| Tufts UniversityMedford, MA | 10 | $92,634 | n/a | n/a |
| Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 10 | $80,296 | n/a | n/a |
| Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT | 27 | $77,047 | n/a | $55,000 |
| Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, AZ | 13 | $76,472 | n/a | $41,000 |
| Arizona State University Digital ImmersionScottsdale, AZ | 39 | $76,472 | n/a | $41,000 |
| University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, CA | 67 | $74,578 | n/a | $49,847 |
| Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR | 25 | $69,918 | n/a | n/a |
| Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBend, OR | 1 | $69,918 | n/a | n/a |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK | 41 | $68,530 | n/a | $41,000 |
| DePaul UniversityChicago, IL | 18 | $67,001 | n/a | n/a |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park, PA | 25 | $58,138 | n/a | n/a |
| University of Massachusetts-BostonBoston, MA | 16 | $56,525 | n/a | n/a |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA | 18 | $55,435 | n/a | n/a |
| American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV | 17 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Bennington CollegeBennington, VT | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Boston UniversityBoston, MA | 11 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, CA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, CA | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Delaware Valley UniversityDoylestown, PA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown, PA | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, GA | 29 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Jacksonville UniversityJacksonville, FL | 22 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| North Dakota State University-Main CampusFargo, ND | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY | 19 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Simmons UniversityBoston, MA | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Stanford UniversityStanford, CA | 31 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX | 19 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee, AL | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Alaska AnchorageAnchorage, AK | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of ArizonaTucson, AZ | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA | 119 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of DelawareNewark, DE | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of DenverDenver, CO | 16 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, IL | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of KentuckyLexington, KY | 11 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of New Mexico-Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC | 32 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA | 11 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of RedlandsRedlands, CA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI | 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of RochesterRochester, NY | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of St ThomasHouston, TX | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT | 17 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of the PacificStockton, CA | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, MO | 15 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Worcester State UniversityWorcester, MA | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| York College of PennsylvaniaYork, PA | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Doctoral programs in public policy analysis
Highest first-year earnings
Frequently asked questions
How much do public policy analysis graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical master's program earned a median of $73,792 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.
How much debt do public policy analysis graduate students take on?
The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $41,000 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.
Undergraduate: Public Policy Analysis major
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.