The school was founded in 1967 as the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration by Clara Penniman, the first woman to chair the university's political science department, making it one of the longest established institutions by type for the specific study of public policy.

The Institute was upgraded to a School in 1999, and offers a relatively small class size from a competitive international admissions process.

Two graduate degrees are offered by the La Follette School: The MPA is based around a core curriculum of policy analysis and development, public management, microeconomics, and statistics.

Both are designed as two-year professional programs, with a capstone research project for real-world clients during the final semester.

The certificate programs are ideal for students seeking careers related to key domestic and international issues such as health policy, criminal justice, education, energy, environmental studies, finance, transportation, and poverty.