Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Schenectady, NY (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Schenectady, New York has 5 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs, with tuition ranging from $8,768 to $67,574 per year for indexed programs. Schenectady has a population of about 68,521. Median household income is $56,398 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $139,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Schenectady

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental policy programs near Schenectady, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Schenectady 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 Schenectady. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill

Cobleskill, NY 30.3 miles from Schenectady
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,030
Avg net price $18,701/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,768
Out‑of‑state$18,678
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY 74.7 miles from Schenectady
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,819
Avg net price $41,544/yr
Tuition
In‑state$47,750
Out‑of‑state$47,750
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

SUNY Morrisville

Morrisville, NY 87.0 miles from Schenectady
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,295
Avg net price $15,939/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,825
Out‑of‑state$19,245
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY 113.0 miles from Schenectady
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
72.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,763
Avg net price $18,952/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,303
Out‑of‑state$22,263
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science

Paul Smiths, NY 113.9 miles from Schenectady
  • 4 year
35.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,145
Avg net price $26,683/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New York schools on the New York environmental policy page.

Environmental Policy Wages Near Schenectady

Schenectady is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area (BLS area code 10580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $79,480 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $79,799
Compliance Officers $81,190 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $81,516
Management Analysts $83,690 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $84,026
Economists $99,200 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $99,598
Political Scientists N/A NY statewide –
Conservation Scientists $76,990 NY statewide $77,299
Natural Sciences Managers $139,830 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $140,392
Environmental Engineers $96,540 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $96,928

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.

Schenectady at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 68,521 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,398 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 99.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Schenectady-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental policy schools are near Schenectady, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs near Schenectady. The closest is SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill in Cobleskill, NY (30.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Connecticut State Community College (96.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles near Schenectady?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Schenectady are: Natural Sciences Managers ($139,830), Economists ($99,200), Environmental Engineers ($96,540). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Albany instead of Schenectady?

Albany, NY is 11.5 miles from Schenectady 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 Schenectady an affordable place to study environmental policy?

Schenectady’s median household income of $56,398 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Schenectady while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Environmental Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Schenectady

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

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.

Back to Best Environmental Policy Schools in New York (2026)