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Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Valparaiso, IN (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Valparaiso, Indiana has 2 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs, with tuition ranging from $4,788 to $14,400 per year for indexed programs. Valparaiso has a population of about 35,065. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $167,040 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Valparaiso
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental policy programs near Valparaiso, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Valparaiso city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
Valparaiso is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$85,310
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$82,346
Compliance Officers
$82,020
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$79,170
Management Analysts
$105,090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$101,438
Economists
$80,750
IN statewide
$77,944
Political Scientists
$103,780
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$100,174
Conservation Scientists
$62,710
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$60,531
Natural Sciences Managers
$167,040
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$161,236
Environmental Engineers
$110,700
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$106,853
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.
Valparaiso at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
103.6 (above U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Valparaiso-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs
How many accredited environmental policy schools are near Valparaiso, IN?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs near Valparaiso. The closest is Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, IL (47.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Lake County (78.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles near Valparaiso?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Valparaiso are: Natural Sciences Managers ($167,040), Environmental Engineers ($110,700), Management Analysts ($105,090). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Portage instead of Valparaiso?
Portage, IN is 10.0 miles from Valparaiso and has its own set of local environmental policy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
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.
Data verified: September 7, 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.