Fully Funded PhD Programs in Public Policy and Public Administration

People often ask us about fellowships to fund doctoral study, here is a list of universities that offer fully funded PhD Programs in Public Policy and Public Administration. In general, finding and entering a PhD program that offers automatic full funding to its doctoral students is easier than winning a competitive external doctoral fellowship. When a doctoral program indicates that they provide full funding to their Ph.D. students, in most cases this means they provide each admitted student full tuition and a stipend for living expenses for the four to six-year duration of the student’s doctoral studies. Not all universities provide full funding to their doctoral students, which is why I recommend researching the financial aid offerings of all the potential Ph.D. programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad.

Below is a list of universities that offer full funding to all of the admitted students for their PhD programs in public policy, public administration, and public affairs.

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1. Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College

(Pittsburgh, PA): The financial aid program is designed to provide students with the financial support necessary to enable them to successfully complete the PhD program. If PhD candidate is in good standing, they will receive a full-tuition scholarship for their entire tenure in the program. The student will receive a $27,000 stipend (no work required) for their first academic year.

2. Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy

(Durham, NC): Duke University and the Sanford School of Public Policy are committed to fully supporting Public Policy PhD students for five years through a combination of scholarships, fellowships, research or teaching assistantships and stipends, provided that students maintain satisfactory progress in the program.

3. Georgia State University, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

(Atlanta, GA): The Andrew Young School has been able to fund virtually all full-time students for at least three years. Assistantships typically provide full tuition waivers and stipends of $18,000 per year. Three new doctoral students each year receive Andrew Young or AYSPS Dean’s Scholar Fellowships, which provide an additional $6,000 annually.

4. Pardee RAND Graduate School

(Santa Monica, CA): All our Ph.D. students are supported by a combination of fellowships and scholarships that cover tuition, include a living stipend, and can enable them to graduate debt-free.

5. Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

(Princeton, NJ): Unless externally funded, all doctoral program students receive 100% of tuition and required fees support. The School offers a need-based stipend for living expenses for up to five years.

6. University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

(Ann Arbor, MI): At present, new doctoral students enter our program with a funding package sufficient to cover tuition, insurance, and living expenses for the first five years of study.

7. University of Southern California (USC), Sol Price School of Public Policy

(Los Angeles, CA): All Ph.D. students are supported for four years through a combination of fellowships and graduate assistantships that provides year-round full tuition, a competitive stipend, and health and dental insurance. Students beyond their fourth year obtain support through teaching or research assistantships, or funding from USC and/or outside sources. Ph.D. students have access to stipends for conference travel.

8. University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

(Seattle, WA): We offer all students admitted into our doctoral program four to five years of full funding through a mix of research and teaching assistantships at the Evans School. Full funding consists of a tuition waiver, a monthly stipend of approximately $2300-2600, and health insurance coverage.

9. American University

(Washington, D.C.): Upon acceptance into the program, students selected for AU funding are granted a fellowship with full funding for four or five years of study. Fellowship is contingent on maintaining satisfactory progress each year. The fellowship with full funding includes tuition benefits as well as an annual stipend.

10. University at Albany

(Albany, New York): The department offers fellowships with multiple years of funding that include a full tuition waiver and stipend. In these fellowships, you work as a research and teaching assistant, enabling you to gain valuable experience to prepare for your dissertation and the academic job market.

11. University of Delaware

(Newark, DE): All full-time doctoral students are admitted with 4 years of funding support, which includes a stipend for an assistantship assignment and a 100% tuition scholarship.

12. University of Georgia

(Athens, GA): The Department of Public Administration and Policy places all PhD students on teaching or research assistantships that provide tuition waivers and stipends ranging from approximately $15,000 to $18,000 for a nine-month academic year. Assistantships also require at least a 13-hour per-week work commitment.

13. Syracuse University

(Syracuse, New York): All Ph.D. students receive department funding at the time of admission and are required to serve as graduate assistants (GA) for both research and teaching apprenticeships. All Ph.D. students obtain experience in the classroom, students receiving four years of funding from the PAIA department.

14. New York University

(New York, NY): All Ph.D. students without alternate funding sources are eligible to receive a four-year research apprenticeship, which carries a stipend, health insurance, a $1000 start-up grant, and 100% tuition remission.  Research apprentices work up to 20 hours a week.

15. Oregon State University

(Corvallis, OR): The Public Policy Graduate Program has been able to provide competitive Laurels Tuition Scholarships, McNair Scholarships, and Graduate Teaching/Research Assistantships for the majority of their students. All funding decisions are based on merit.

16. Cornell University

(Ithaca, New York): They offer 5 years of funding to all students who are admitted to the program, and this funding is not tied to work with specific faculty. You do not need to have a specific faculty member agree to support your application to be admitted.

17. Northeastern University

(Boston, Massachusetts): All admitted PhDs are awarded Stipended Graduate Assistantships (SGA). These awards offer a stipend, tuition remission, and the NUSHP health plan to full-time students. Our program is fully funded for 5 years.

18. Ohio State University

(Columbus, OH): Historically, all Glenn College doctoral students have been fully funded (including tuition, stipend, and healthcare benefits) for at least four years. Stipends and healthcare benefits are competitive with those of other top schools of public affairs. All applicants are considered for funded positions as part of the application review process.

19. University of North Carolina

(Charlotte NC): The Public Policy program is committed to providing academic year funding for all full-time students for four years provided that students maintain good standing in the program. Students will receive a Graduate Assistantship that typically pays $18,000 for the 9-month academic year.

For application tips on applying to a PhD program, see How To Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors.

Hope you will find your desired university from this list that offers fully funded PhD Programs in Public Policy and Public Administration

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Last Updated August 14, 2022

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