2026 Best Public Policy Schools in Rhode Island

Public Policy programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for public policy students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Public Policy Schools in Rhode Island

Best Schools for Public Policy in Rhode Island

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall public policy education in Rhode Island.

Top Schools in Public Policy

1

Brown University
Providence, RI

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

46 Public Policy Degrees Awarded

$59,863 Median Starting Salary

Brown University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public policy. Set in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. About 46 public policy degrees were awarded at Brown University in the most recent year. Public Policy graduates of Brown University earn a median of $59,863 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $10,345 to complete this degree. See the full public policy program report for Brown University

2

University Of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

50 Public Policy Degrees Awarded

$38,868 Median Starting Salary

University Of Rhode Island is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in public policy, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Kingston. Roughly 72% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 50 public policy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Rhode Island in the most recent data year. Graduates of the public policy program make about $38,868 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,500. See the full public policy program report for University Of Rhode Island

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• 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.