Public Policy Analysis at Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Bachelor's Degree · about 36 graduates a year

$48,558
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$78,752
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$73,721
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#9 of 34
Rank by pay
#10 of 34
Rank, wage-adjusted
$18,750
Median federal debt

Northwestern University graduates in public policy analysis earn 7% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 24% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Northwestern University Compares for Public Policy Analysis

All 34 colleges reporting public policy analysis earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Cornell University Ithaca, NY$126,767$120,656#1$77,906
2Princeton University Princeton, NJ$107,792$94,607#5$73,630
3Duke University Durham, NC$103,071$110,610#2$60,501
4Brown University Providence, RI$94,962$93,528#6$58,161
5University of Chicago Chicago, IL$94,237$92,587#7$60,057
6Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN$91,265$99,697#4$57,023
7University of Mississippi University, MS$85,338$103,542#3$40,259
8Trinity College Hartford, CT$82,638$74,401#11$56,902
9Northwestern University Evanston, IL$78,752$77,373#10$48,558
10Brandeis University Waltham, MA$75,580$66,556#17$39,943
11Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ$74,865$65,708#18$51,082
12University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$74,511$67,800#15$52,403

Other Majors at Northwestern University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Information Science/Studies$163,740$102,998#1 of 148
Computer Science$155,106$99,981#28 of 349
Applied Mathematics$148,740$94,684#4 of 45
Industrial Engineering$138,720$89,811#1 of 94
Economics$126,006$84,932#21 of 368
Statistics$122,682$77,917#7 of 50
Chemical Engineering$111,040$80,709#12 of 158
Human Resources Management and Services$108,498$82,255#2 of 187
Mathematics$107,072$79,530#19 of 309
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$102,994$68,592#19 of 118
Mechanical Engineering$98,277$75,253#49 of 318
Manufacturing Engineering$97,819—#1 of 15
Communication and Media Studies$93,541$52,210#2 of 660
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$93,180—#7 of 476
Community Organization and Advocacy$84,712$61,009#1 of 24
Journalism$80,258$50,426#3 of 187
History$78,966$50,161#13 of 459
Sociology$75,267$38,402#8 of 462
International Relations and National Security Studies$74,477$58,326#30 of 118
Psychology$73,646$44,088#14 of 1027
Political Science and Government$73,231$54,737#89 of 565
Biology$71,181—#82 of 841
Psychology$62,905$36,890#3 of 9
English Language and Literature$62,147$31,748#39 of 576
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$59,372$39,012#15 of 103
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$54,279$35,334#56 of 67
Music$53,875$34,823#37 of 268
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$51,471$24,611#65 of 158
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$49,316$19,245#17 of 255
Public Health—$39,956—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Northwestern University public policy analysis graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $48,558 one year after graduating and $78,752 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Northwestern University rank for public policy analysis?

Among 34 colleges reporting earnings for public policy analysis graduates, Northwestern University ranks #9 by median pay four years after graduation, and #10 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is public policy analysis at Northwestern University worth it?

Its graduates earn 7% more than the national median for public policy analysis ($73,721), and the median federal debt at graduation is $18,750.

← All data for Northwestern University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.