Public Policy Analysis at Ohio State University-Main Campus

Ohio State's Public Policy Analysis program puts graduates in a strong earnings position—$50,643 within the first year outpaces the national median by nearly $6,000 and lands in the 69th percentile nationally. Equally important, students leave with just $14,500 in debt, roughly a third less than the $22,000 national median. That 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than three months of their starting salary, making this one of the more manageable financial propositions among policy programs.

The caveat here matters: this data comes from a small cohort of fewer than 30 graduates, which means one or two high earners could skew the numbers upward. Since Ohio State is the only school reporting data for this program in Ohio, we can't benchmark against in-state competitors. Still, the fundamentals look solid—a moderately selective public flagship with reasonable debt levels and above-average outcomes.

For parents weighing this program, the low debt burden provides crucial breathing room if your child needs time to find their footing in the policy world, where government and nonprofit starting salaries can vary widely. The earnings advantage over typical policy graduates suggests Ohio State's brand and Columbus connections deliver value, though you'll want to verify these outcomes hold across larger graduate cohorts.