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2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in North Carolina

[Public Policy](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-policy/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for public policy students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Policy Schools in North Carolina

2026 Best Value Public Policy Schools in North Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public policy, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Public Policy Schools

1

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC

$8,994 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,000 Avg Student Debt

$72,200 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earned the #1 spot for value among public policy schools in North Carolina. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,994, compared with $41,203 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete the public policy program here. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill generally make around $48,252. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 15% of applicants are accepted.

2

Duke University
Durham, NC

$68,758 In-State Tuition & Fees

$10,500 Avg Student Debt

$97,800 Median Earnings (10yr)

Duke University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value public policy schools. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. Typical student debt for public policy graduates is $10,500. Soon after graduation, public policy degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $72,813. Set against $10,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 6%.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.