Best Emergency Management Schools Near Owensboro, KY (2026)

Owensboro, Kentucky has 2 accredited schools offering emergency management programs, with tuition ranging from $11,652 to $27,000 per year for indexed programs. Owensboro has a population of about 60,112. Median household income is $53,295 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning emergency management-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $74,730 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Emergency Management Schools to Owensboro

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer emergency management programs near Owensboro, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Owensboro city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Owensboro. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 64.6 miles from Owensboro BOC Score 52.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Murray State University

Murray, KY 103.2 miles from Owensboro BOC Score 58.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,737
Avg net price $9,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 144.3 miles from Owensboro BOC Score 70.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, KY 153.9 miles from Owensboro BOC Score 52.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,795
Avg net price $11,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,320
Out‑of‑state$21,230
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY 168.7 miles from Owensboro BOC Score 56.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,220
Avg net price $8,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kentucky schools on the Kentucky emergency management page.


Emergency Management Wages Near Owensboro

Owensboro is part of the Owensboro, KY metro area (BLS area code 36980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$74,730KY statewide$84,345
Firefighter$37,150KY statewide$41,930
Emergency Medical Technician$36,800KY statewide$41,535
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$60,850KY statewide$68,679

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Owensboro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population60,112Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,295Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Owensboro-Area Cities With Emergency Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited emergency management schools are near Owensboro, KY?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering emergency management programs near Owensboro. The closest is Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY (64.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lincoln Trail College (92.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying emergency management roles in Kentucky?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying emergency management-related roles in Kentucky are: Emergency Management Director ($74,730), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($60,850), Firefighter ($37,150). Wages for Owensboro workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Henderson instead of Owensboro?

Henderson, KY is 25.8 miles from Owensboro and has its own set of local emergency management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Owensboro an affordable place to study emergency management?

Owensboro’s median household income of $53,295 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Owensboro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Emergency Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Owensboro

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Owensboro:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.