The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan

What The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan does

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is a constituent school of the University of Michigan, established in 1974 as one of America's first graduate public service training programs and housed in Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, an 85,000-square-foot purpose-built facility at the gateway to central campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school delivers a portfolio of public policy degree programs: a two-year residential Master of Public Policy (MPP, ~110 students per cohort), a nine-month residential Master of Public Affairs (MPA, up to 25 students), an Online MPA for working professionals with weekly synchronous sessions and two on-campus residencies, joint PhD programs in public policy with economics, political science, and sociology (~6 annually with five years of funding), a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy (~100 majors), a competitive Minor in Public Policy (~40), and the PPIA Junior Summer Institute pipeline program. Dozens of dual-degree combinations with U-M's 19 other graduate schools (MBA/MPP, JD/MPP, MPH/MPP, MSW/MPP, MURP/MPP, MSI/MPP) and 52 certificate programs, including the Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) certificate, are accessible with low cross-school barriers. Supporting services include a Writing Center, Policy Analysis Learning Lab, Leadership Initiative, Bridge Builders program, and personalized career services. The school is ranked #1 in the U.S. for public policy analysis by U.S. News and World Report (2027) and claims 100% post-graduation employment or further education within degree-related fields.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: tuition and academic fees for graduate and undergraduate degree programs (following University of Michigan graduate school pricing), donations and charitable giving managed through a development and alumni relations team (511 gifts July 2025-May 2026, Giving Blueday 2026 exceeding $75,000, alumni fund, Dean's Circle, named giving programs), and foundation grants exemplified by a $400,000 commitment from The Skillman Foundation in 2026 to support the Online MPA program for Detroiters. Go-to-market combines a sales-led graduate admissions process with personalized recruiting support, an event-driven calendar (annual Washington DC Career Exploration Days with 100+ DC-area alumni, PolicyTalks, graduate fairs, and Spirit Day), and a broad content marketing footprint (State & Hill magazine, Policy Matters blog, The Briefing newsletter, and social channels across Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr). Curriculum integrates structural racism and institutional discrimination analysis, leadership development, quantitative policy analysis (microeconomics, statistics, program evaluation, R programming, Excel, data visualization), and engaged learning via an 85,000-sq-ft facility with 24/7 access. The institution is government-owned (State of Michigan via the U-M Board of Regents), not equity-financed, with no private equity or venture capital ownership.

Name

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan

Legal name

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan

Website

https://fordschool.umich.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is a top-ranked (#1 U.S. policy analysis) graduate school within the University of Michigan, offering MPP, MPA, Online MPA, joint PhD, BA, and minor degree programs to prospective, mid-career, and doctoral students pursuing public service careers in government, nonprofit, and international sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Policy, Public Administration & Nonprofit Management Schools (within Business Schools) (EDAHAHAK)

Keywords

• Public policy education
• Graduate degree programs
• Policy analysis training
• Higher education
• Public administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and academic fees: Revenue from graduate and undergraduate degree programs including MPP (48 credits), MPA (30 credits), Online MPA (30 credits), dual degrees, and certificate programs. Tuition rates follow University of Michigan graduate school structure.
2. Donations and charitable giving: Development and alumni relations team manages donations, annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving. The school has a student support fund, Dean's Circle, and various named giving programs. Raised over $75,000 on Giving Blueday 2026.
3. Foundation grants: The Skillman Foundation committed $400,000 to support Ford School's Online MPA program for Detroiters, demonstrating foundation funding for student financial support and program development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan is a public policy graduate and undergraduate school that delivers degree programs (MPP, MPA residential and online, joint PhDs, BA in Public Policy, Minor in Public Policy), dual-degree combinations with other U-M schools, and certificate programs (including the Science, Technology, and Public Policy certificate). It also runs the PPIA Junior Summer Institute and provides student success services such as a Writing Center, Policy Analysis Learning Lab, and Leadership Initiative. Programs emphasize quantitative policy analysis, leadership, communication, and applied learning for careers across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Product overview

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan is an academic institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs. Its core products include undergraduate (Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, Minor in Public Policy), graduate (Master of Public Policy, Master of Public Affairs including residential and online formats), and doctoral programs (joint PhDs in Public Policy with Economics, Political Science, or Sociology). The school also offers specialized certificate programs including the Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) certificate, and supports student success through dedicated services including a Writing Center, Policy Analysis Learning Lab, and Leadership Initiative. With remarkably low barriers between U-M's 19 graduate schools, the school enables dozens of dual degree combinations with law, business, public health, social work, urban planning, and other disciplines. The institution operates from Joan and Sanford Weill Hall and is ranked #1 nationally for public policy analysis by U.S. News and World Report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Public Policy (MPP) A two-year residential Master of Public Policy degree program providing rigorous training in quantitative policy analysis, political and ethical analysis, communication, and leadership for careers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Designed for prospective graduate students seeking careers in policy and government.
• Master of Public Affairs (MPA) A one-year residential Master of Public Affairs degree designed for seasoned professionals with at least five years of policy-relevant work experience, combining applied policy analysis with public and nonprofit management, leadership, and communication skills.
• Online Master of Public Affairs (MPA) A flexible, accessible online Master of Public Affairs degree for busy working professionals, featuring weekly evening synchronous sessions and two required on-campus residencies at Weill Hall in Ann Arbor.
• Joint PhD Programs Pioneering joint doctoral programs combining public policy studies with disciplinary work in economics, political science, or sociology at U-M's top-ranked social science departments, offering five years of funding support.
• Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy A liberal arts undergraduate degree based in the social sciences that provides students with knowledge and skills to analyze policy problems, understand the stakes, and create viable solutions, with a required applied learning course exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Minor in Public Policy A competitive-admissions minor program that makes critical thinking and analytical skills from the Ford School available to undergraduate students from any U-M school or college, including engineering, business, sociology, and more.
• PPIA Junior Summer Institute A seven-week intensive summer pre-college program promoting inclusion in public service, offering statistics, microeconomics, and writing instruction along with policy modules for diverse undergraduate students preparing for graduate programs in public policy.
• Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Certificate An interdisciplinary graduate certificate program (12 credit hours) for master's or doctoral students exploring how science and technology are influenced by politics and policy, examining the role of science in policymaking and addressing questions about risk and uncertainty from new technologies.
• Dual Degree Programs Dozens of dual degree options pairing the MPP with other U-M professional degrees including Business Administration (MBA/MPP), Law (JD/MPP), Public Health (MPH/MPP), Social Work (MSW/MPP), Urban Planning (MURP/MPP), Information (MSI/MPP), and others, typically completed in three years.
• Leadership Initiative A comprehensive leadership development program offering executive coaching, workshops, assessments, extracurricular programming, and courses to build leadership competencies for transformative public service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of graduates employed or in further education within fields related to their degree
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PPIA (Public Policy and International Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Ford School hosts the PPIA Junior Summer Institute, a seven-week intensive program preparing diverse undergraduate students from across the U.S. for graduate programs in public policy and international affairs. The national PPIA office manages applications for the program.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Kennedy School: Harvard's graduate school of public policy offering MPP, MPA, and PhD programs. Most direct peer: elite brand, broad curriculum in policy analysis, leadership, and quantitative methods, serving the same pool of prospective policy graduate students.
• University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy: Chicago Harris offers MPP and PhD programs with a strong quantitative and economics-based curriculum. Direct peer: similar emphasis on analytic rigor, interdisciplinary training, and career placement into policy and private-sector roles.
• Carnegie Mellon Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy: Heinz offers policy-focused master's degrees (MSPP, MIDAS) emphasizing data analytics and policy. Direct peer: intersects with Ford on quantitative policy training and analytics-driven policy careers, though with a heavier information systems focus.
• NYU Wagner School of Public Service: NYU's graduate school of public service offering MPA, MUP, and PhD programs. Direct peer: similar urban policy and public management focus, comparable cohort sizes, and overlap in non-profit and government career placements.
• UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy: Berkeley's graduate public policy school offering MPP and PhD degrees. Direct peer: emphasizes quantitative policy analysis, strong public-affairs mission, similar cohort-based residential model at a top public university.
• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs: Princeton's policy school offering an MPA and doctoral programs. Direct peer: top-ranked, focused on quantitative policy training, public service orientation, and cross-disciplinary integration within a world-class research university.
• Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy: Georgetown's policy school offering MPP and applied policy programs with a Washington, D.C. focus. Direct peer: similar product portfolio (MPP, certificates), strong policy career services, and overlap in employer and alumni networks in the D.C. policy ecosystem.
• Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA): Columbia SIPA offers MIA and MPA programs with international policy focus. Direct peer: comparable mission of training policy leaders, similar two-year residential model, and overlap in international affairs career placements.
• Duke Sanford School of Public Policy: Duke's public policy school offering MPP and PhD programs. Direct peer: similar quantitative policy analysis focus, comparable size and student profile, and competition for the same applicants in graduate policy admissions.
• Indiana University O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs: Indiana's public affairs school offering MPA, MSES, and other policy degrees. Direct peer: comparable public university setting with broad public administration and policy programs, frequently appearing in the same U.S. News public affairs rankings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fordschool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fordschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/fordschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/gerald-r.-ford-school-of-public-policy
• Instagraminstagram.com/fordschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan