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Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Austin, MN (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Austin, Minnesota has 2 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Austin has a population of about 26,167. Median household income is $66,488 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $136,450 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Austin
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental policy programs near Austin, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Austin 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Austin.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$88,000
Compliance Officers
$85,920
Management Analysts
$100,790
Economists
$105,120
Political Scientists
N/A
Conservation Scientists
$71,280
Natural Sciences Managers
$136,450
Environmental Engineers
$115,750
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.
Austin at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
26,167
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$66,488
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
23.2%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Austin-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs
How many accredited environmental policy schools are near Austin, MN?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs near Austin. The closest is University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA (84.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hawkeye Community College (91.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles in Minnesota?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles in Minnesota are: Natural Sciences Managers ($136,450), Environmental Engineers ($115,750), Economists ($105,120). Wages for Austin workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Owatonna instead of Austin?
Owatonna, MN is 31.7 miles from Austin 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.
Is Austin an affordable place to study environmental policy?
Austin’s median household income of $66,488 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Austin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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.
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.
