Papp earned a BA in History (summa cum laude) from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1999. Papp was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs and graduate student in Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College (2000–2001). He considered pursuing a career with the Central Intelligence Agency, and interviewed for a position in the Directorate of Operations in 2000, but returned to professional cycling in 2001. In October 2004, Papp married champion Cuban cyclist Yuliet Rodríguez Jiménez, but they have been separated since December 2006.