Public Policy Analysisat Michigan State University
Graduates earn $43,005/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Public Policy Analysis average. Base-case 10-year earnings $493K; scenarios range from $464K to $493K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Michigan State University
First-year earnings of $43,005 track close to the $46,424 national median for Public Policy Analysis programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 7.7x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Public Policy Analysis's typical career paths, with 49% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 6% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $25,822 represents roughly 7 months of the $43,005 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #24 of 40 Public Policy Analysis programs, Michigan State University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Michigan State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Public Policy Analysis
How Michigan State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Michigan State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Michigan State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Public Policy Analysis at Michigan State University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Public Policy Analysis at Michigan State University?
A score of 43/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Public Policy Analysis. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Public Policy Analysis careers?
With 49% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $463,912 in decade earnings vs $492,881 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.