2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Illinois
[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public policy schools.
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2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public policy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Public Policy Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Illinois At Chicago the best value for a degree in public policy in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,949, with out-of-state students paying around $32,009. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $17,000. Early-career public policy graduates make about $35,205. Set against $17,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in public policy will find it at University Of Chicago, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,324. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $17,492. Early-career public policy graduates make about $69,889. Set against $17,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
Northwestern University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value public policy schools. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $18,750. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $48,558. That is a strong return on a $18,750 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Depaul University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #4 spot this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. Early-career public policy graduates make about $52,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
