2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Georgia
[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 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public policy schools.
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2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public policy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Policy Schools
Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus earned the #1 spot for value among public policy schools in Georgia. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,058, while out-of-state students pay about $34,484. Students borrow a median of $24,323 to complete the public policy program here. Public Policy graduates of Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus earn a median of $48,383 early in their careers. Set against $24,323 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 14%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgia State University earned it the #2 place for public policy. Georgia State University is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. Students from in state pay about $8,664 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,840 for out-of-state students. Public Policy graduates carry a median of $30,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Georgia State University generally make around $42,215. That is a strong return on a $30,750 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
