Skip to content
CIP 44.0501 Public Administration and Social Services

Public Policy Analysis, General

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

中文

Total graduates

4,846

2025 · 144 schools

International share

11.6%

561 international students

Bachelor's degrees

2,264

2.9% international

Master's degrees

2,355

18.9% international

Overview

Public Policy Analysis is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on the evaluation and formulation of policies that address societal issues. It draws from various disciplines including economics, political science, sociology, and management to understand and solve complex problems faced by governments and organizations.

In Public Policy Analysis, students learn to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of public policies. They are trained in qualitative and quantitative research methods, enabling them to gather and interpret data, conduct cost-benefit analyses, and evaluate program impacts. This skill set is essential for making informed decisions that can lead to improved public welfare.

The curriculum often includes topics such as policy formulation, implementation, evaluation, and the role of different stakeholders in the policy process. Students also engage in case studies and real-world projects, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations.

Graduates of this field can pursue careers in government agencies, non-profit organizations, think tanks, and private sector firms. They may work as policy analysts, researchers, consultants, or program managers, contributing to the development of effective public policies that address issues such as healthcare, education, environmental protection, and social justice.

Overall, Public Policy Analysis equips individuals with the analytical skills and ethical considerations needed to navigate the complexities of public governance and make a positive impact in society.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2002 to 2025, graduates grew 156% and the international share went from 11.5% to 11.6%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
48.1%
Asian
9.3%
Hispanic
13.8%
Black
9.1%
Other
8.0%
Intl.
11.6%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 144 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#2 Princeton University New Jersey 230 48
#3 Harvard University Massachusetts 152 37
#5 Stanford University California 46 4
#7 University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 10 0
#8 Duke University North Carolina 263 25
#9 University of Chicago Illinois 67 2
#9 Northwestern University Illinois 35 2
#9 Johns Hopkins University Maryland 47 6
#14 Cornell University New York 45 5
#14 Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 2 0
#16 Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8 5
#16 Brown University Rhode Island 69 31
#16 Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7 1
#16 Rice University Texas 22 0
#20 University of California-Berkeley California 122 43
#20 University of California-Los Angeles California 200 27
#23 Georgetown University D.C. 72 16
#23 Emory University Georgia 4 0
#25 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Michigan 181 36
#26 University of Virginia-Main Campus Virginia 198 10
#27 University of Southern California California 95 24
#27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina 151 4
#29 University of California-San Diego California 53 32
#29 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Georgia 65 8
#31 Tufts University Massachusetts 22 0
#34 University of California-Irvine California 12 2
#34 The University of Texas at Austin Texas 89 16
#34 University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin 36 6
#44 Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Jersey 50 15
#44 Ohio State University-Main Campus Ohio 20 0
#44 Lehigh University Pennsylvania 5 0
#49 University of Maryland-College Park Maryland 210 15
#52 College of William and Mary Virginia 60 0
#52 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia 43 0
#55 University of Miami Florida 1 0
#55 The Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania 17 6
#59 George Washington University D.C. 77 5
#59 Brandeis University Massachusetts 37 5
#59 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Massachusetts 40 6
#59 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minnesota 40 2
#59 Stony Brook University New York 18 1
#59 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pennsylvania 3 0
#69 Michigan State University Michigan 27 2
#73 University of Connecticut Connecticut 18 1
#80 University of California-Riverside California 92 2
#80 Pepperdine University California 20 1
#80 Drexel University Pennsylvania 4 2
#80 Clemson University South Carolina 2 0
#85 University of Delaware Delaware 34 2
#85 Southern Methodist University Texas 14 0
#95 American University D.C. 71 4
#95 University of Illinois at Chicago Illinois 35 3
#95 Rutgers University--Camden New Jersey 9 7
#95 Rochester Institute of Technology New York 12 0
#100 Saint Louis University Missouri 4 1
#100 Elon University North Carolina 6 1
#109 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus New Hampshire 14 1
#109 Temple University Pennsylvania 11 1
#109 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Tennessee 15 1
#121 Arizona State University-Tempe Arizona 78 6
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 6 0
#121 University of the Pacific California 2 0
#121 University of Denver Colorado 23 1
#121 University of Central Florida Florida 7 0
#121 Loyola University Chicago Illinois 6 0
#121 SUNY at Albany New York 14 0
#121 The University of Texas at Dallas Texas 13 2
#121 George Mason University Virginia 69 6
#137 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Maryland 20 2
#137 Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Pennsylvania 5 0
#137 University of Scranton Pennsylvania 1 0
#137 University of Houston Texas 33 5
#148 Mercer University Georgia 2 0
#148 University of Kentucky Kentucky 18 0
#148 University of Rhode Island Rhode Island 29 1
#156 Montclair State University New Jersey 3 0
#156 Oregon State University Oregon 52 10
#169 DePaul University Illinois 17 2
#169 Simmons University Massachusetts 1 0
#169 University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina 2 0
#179 University of Mississippi Mississippi 62 0
#179 University of Utah Utah 10 3
#191 University of Arkansas Arkansas 7 1
#191 Georgia State University Georgia 34 2
#191 Rowan University New Jersey 1 0
#191 Hofstra University New York 3 0
#191 Washington State University Washington 3 0
#202 University of Massachusetts-Boston Massachusetts 9 4
#202 University of St. Thomas (TX) Texas 5 1
#236 University of Colorado Denver Colorado 10 0
#236 University of Nevada--Las Vegas Nevada 9 0
#236 University of New Mexico-Main Campus New Mexico 8 0
#236 North Dakota State University-Main Campus North Dakota 7 0
#236 Portland State University Oregon 14 1
#236 Chatham University Pennsylvania 2 0
#250 University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Massachusetts 15 0
#299 Boise State University Idaho 7 0
#317 Marshall University West Virginia 15 0
#332 Jacksonville University Florida 12 0
#353 Trevecca Nazarene University Tennessee 1 0
#365 Liberty University Virginia 65 2
#382 University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska 1 0
#382 University of New Orleans Louisiana 9 0
#382 Southern University and A&M College Louisiana 25 0
#382 University of Southern Maine Maine 21 0
#382 Dallas Baptist University Texas 5 1
#382 Regent University Virginia 26 0
LAC #3 Claremont McKenna College California 9 0
LAC #3 Pomona College California 19 1
LAC #14 Hamilton College New York 16 0
LAC #31 Trinity College Connecticut 47 2
LAC #85 Susquehanna University Pennsylvania 5 0
LAC #91 Washington and Jefferson College Pennsylvania 4 0
LAC #106 St. Mary's College of Maryland Maryland 2 0
LAC #132 Bennington College Vermont 1 1
LAC #184 Young Harris College Georgia 5 0
— Arizona State University Digital Immersion Arizona 104 1
— Empire State University New York 48 0
— Adler University Illinois 32 0
— The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Texas 18 8
— California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo California 15 0
— University of Redlands California 14 0
— American Public University System West Virginia 12 1
— University of Washington-Bothell Campus Washington 11 2
— Niagara University New York 9 4
— University of Illinois Springfield Illinois 7 1
— York College of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 6 0
— Oakwood University Alabama 5 2
— The College of New Jersey New Jersey 5 0
— Anderson University South Carolina 4 0
— Bentley University Massachusetts 3 0
— St. Catherine University Minnesota 3 0
— State University of New York at Cortland New York 3 0
— Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg Pennsylvania 3 0
— University of Alaska Anchorage Alaska 2 0
— University of St. Joseph Connecticut 2 0
— University of Northern Iowa Iowa 2 0
— Rockhurst University Missouri 2 0
— Elizabethtown College Pennsylvania 2 0
— University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Pennsylvania 2 0
— Central Washington University Washington 2 0
— Claremont Graduate University California 1 1
— Olivet Nazarene University Illinois 1 0
— Worcester State University Massachusetts 1 0

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

OccupationUS employmentMean hourly wageMean annual wage
Social Science Research Assistants 30,640 $31.80 $66,140
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary 16,970 — $108,100
Political Scientists 5,540 $68.51 $142,510

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2002–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.