As of August 2018, Pardee RAND has awarded 400 Ph.D. degrees and is the largest policy Ph.D. program in the United States.

Public policy courses focus on issues such as social determinants of health, education, civil and criminal justice, national security, population and demographics, and international development.

[10] RAND's research areas include children and families, education and the arts, energy and environment, health and health care, infrastructure and transportation, international affairs, law and business, national security, population and aging, public safety, science and technology, and terrorism and homeland security.

[11] RAND argued in 2023 that students aren't employees under the National Labor Relations Act.

The National Labor Relations Board disagreed with both arguments, stating that "Students have significant functional integration with the Employer’s research staff... students actively contribute to the research that underlies the Employer’s analysis and the presentation of this analysis to clients.