By Iris Stone
Published July 2020
In the United States, we have a unique interest in government and public policy, and thus a unique interest in public service degree programs. We churn out more lawyers per square mile than we can possibly employ, and many new professionals flock to the powerful, promising city of Washington, D.C. We keep up with daily news and keep tabs on government officials, and are often surprisingly educated on issues of the economy, healthcare, and social justice.
As a nation in-arguably founded on the pursuit of an ethical, effective government while fleeing an oppressive one, it's no surprise that the United States is home to a wealth of universities with dedicated public service schools. Whether they dub it Public Affairs, Public Policy, Political Science, Government, or something else, these schools have committed themselves to creating impressive programs. They invent creative opportunities for students and establish fellowships, seminars, study abroad programs, research institutes, collaborative initiatives, and much more. They do all this to brand themselves as a school worthy of the most innovative, entrepreneurial public service students – some of whom may one day end up in the upper echelons of the federal government.
Methodology
But how do you define "innovative"? Many of these schools could be classified as "good," due simply to their expensive facilities or highly paid faculty. But as we set out to describe a list of the most innovative public service schools in the United States, we developed a methodology that hopefully identifies the universities doing truly innovative work.
Some of the categories we researched were fairly straightforward, and meant simply to filter the high quality schools from the ones not worth mentioning. This included looking at the institutions' U.S. News Public Affairs Graduate Schools rankings and considering each department's student-to-faculty ratio. We also considered how to qualify the schools that offered students the most options, so we counted the number of degree programs as well as dual/joint/concurrent public service degrees they all offered. We then grew more specific, ranking the quality of each department's internship and career services programs, and even going so far as to count the number of unique and innovative public policy programs at each university. Lastly, we gave extra points to schools who gained the unique distinction of being honored as "innovative" by QS World Rankings. We assigned each school points and weighted each category based on our understanding of its significance in defining innovative public service schools, using information from multiple reputable sources as our guides in this process.
U.S. News Ranking: maximum 27 points, 16% of total ranking
Number of Degree Programs: maximum 15 points, 9% of total ranking
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: maximum 15 points, 9% of total ranking
Number of Joint/Dual/Concurrent Degree Programs: maximum 33 points, 20% of total ranking
Strength of Internship Programs: maximum 20 points, 12% of total ranking
QS Top Universities Innovation Ranking: maximum 15 points, 9% of total ranking
Number of Innovative Features: maximum 40 points, 24% of total ranking
As you can see, there were a maximum of 165 total points included in this methodology. In other words, a school that scored perfectly in every category would have earned 165 points and a 100% grade. Of course, no school is perfect, and in fact the most points we awarded was 119. Nonetheless, this ranking system should give you a useful idea of which schools offer the most innovative programs in public service, giving students access to a wealth of degree options, numerous research opportunities, and extensive learning experiences outside the classroom. We have listed them from least innovative to most innovative, along with the "Net Price" values.
Net Price refers to a school's average total cost after factoring in tuition, expenses, scholarships, and financial aid packages. Weigh your interest in innovation with your need for cost savings, and choose the school that's right for you!
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Sources:
College Navigator
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration
U.S. News Ranking & Reviews
QS Top Universities Innovation Rankings
Princeton Review
About the Author:
Iris Stone began her writing career when she started working as a freelance writer and researcher in 2011. Her freelance business soon took off and she now owns and operates a writing and editing firm that works with clients all across the country. Despite the time it takes to run a business she still does much of the writing herself, and her work has included a variety of content related to education policy, colleges and universities, academic programs, and graduates' careers. Her interests span far beyond writing, and she is currently studying to be a physicist. Check out her Google+ Profile.
