PlotFuture PlotFuture
PlotFuture / Majors / 44.05

What can you do with a
Public Policy Analysis degree?

Public Policy Analysis is mid-paying, AI barely touches it, and you would have escape routes.

Is this major worth the money?

Real graduate earnings vs. the debt you'd carry — and how long it takes to pay off.
10.6 yrs
to pay back the degree
+$12k
earnings premium vs no degree
Median earnings
$57,244
Typical debt
$21,000
4-yr net cost
$74,996
Monthly loan payment
$239/mo
If you earn:

Where this major actually leads

7 careers it opens — bar color = AI risk, tag = how hard the path is.
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondaryleap
AI risk 30 → 48 future · +17.3% demand
$140,000
Medical and Health Services Managersleap
AI risk 7 → 43 future · +23.2% demand
$107,536
Political Scientistscommon
AI risk 45 → 48 future · -3.1% demand
$95,000
Transportation Plannersstretch
AI risk 3 → 52 future · -1.7% demand
$80,000
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondarystretch
AI risk 0 → 48 future · +2.0% demand
$79,500
Education Teachers, Postsecondarystretch
AI risk 26 → 49 future · +2.1% demand
$70,000
Social Science Research Assistantsstretch
AI risk 44 → 67 future · +4.4% demand
$62,000
● green = AI-safe · red = AI-exposed · click any career for the full breakdown
How this is built. We take every career this major leads to (CIP→SOC official crosswalk), then join each one's real salary (BLS/DOL), AI exposure (O*NET + model), demand growth, and skill-based escape routes. ROI from College Scorecard. Every figure here is joined from official sources, not estimated.