Public Policy Analysis at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Master's Degree · about 33 graduates a year

$63,862
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$78,939
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$93,020
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#40 of 50
Rank by pay
#29 of 50
Rank, wage-adjusted
$20,213
Median federal debt

University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates in public policy analysis earn 15% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 26% of one year’s pay at that point.

How University of Wisconsin-Madison Compares for Public Policy Analysis

All 50 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
1Harvard University Cambridge, MA$129,978$114,459#2$87,444
2University of California-San Francisco San Francisco, CA$124,169$112,986#4—
3Princeton University Princeton, NJ$120,163$105,465#6$85,111
4University of Chicago Chicago, IL$112,727$110,754#5$79,721
5Georgetown University Washington, DC$110,634$96,944#9$83,403
6Duke University Durham, NC$109,274$117,267#1$85,125
7Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD$107,692$94,512#10$97,034
8University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI$107,392$113,232#3$75,277
9Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA$103,268$105,024#8$68,342
10University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA$100,925$91,835#12$66,078
…
37William & Mary Williamsburg, VA$80,402$73,213#42—
38University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN$80,100$76,513#37$61,239
39Brandeis University Waltham, MA$79,908$70,367#46$64,496
40University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI$78,939$82,140#29$63,862
41Liberty University Lynchburg, VA$78,054$71,075#44$58,353
42Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY$77,523$73,786#39$54,079
43University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA$76,103$69,249#48$40,275

Other Majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer and Information Sciences$196,985—#3 of 78
Marketing$166,668$117,372#2 of 37
Finance and Financial Management Services$164,371$122,802#8 of 69
Business/Commerce$160,097$127,264#8 of 75
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$156,689—#8 of 92
Engineering$147,101$112,855#2 of 29
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$129,743$106,135#36 of 62
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$125,492$108,627#125 of 216
Nuclear Engineering$118,214——
Mechanical Engineering$113,710$88,820#47 of 83
Geography and Cartography$111,616$74,365#2 of 17
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$109,392$82,680#21 of 40
Accounting and Related Services$107,090$69,352#68 of 349
Public Health$92,640$60,435#32 of 201
Civil Engineering$91,867$85,260#59 of 81
Biotechnology$83,354$78,060#13 of 15
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$77,299—#27 of 36
Economics—$73,951—
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy$71,621—#7 of 15
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology$71,120$55,617#94 of 322
Educational Administration and Supervision$69,767$55,677#232 of 453
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$67,173$53,264#8 of 33
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$67,161$53,256#38 of 58
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$64,515$52,000#147 of 243
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$63,546$64,762#176 of 211
Social Work$62,101$54,548#150 of 279
Curriculum and Instruction$55,104$50,433#159 of 190
Library Science and Administration$54,976$44,787#32 of 54
Fine and Studio Arts$43,436$30,934#46 of 60
Music—$31,552—

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do University of Wisconsin-Madison public policy analysis graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $63,862 one year after graduating and $78,939 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does University of Wisconsin-Madison rank for public policy analysis?

Among 50 colleges reporting earnings for public policy analysis graduates, University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks #40 by median pay four years after graduation, and #29 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is public policy analysis at University of Wisconsin-Madison worth it?

Its graduates earn 15% less than the national median for public policy analysis ($93,020), and the median federal debt at graduation is $20,213.

← All data for University of Wisconsin-Madison · 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.