Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Plum, PA (2026)

Plum, Pennsylvania is home to about 26,873 residents. Median household income is $98,475 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Political Scientists at a median $140,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Plum

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

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

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#1

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 229.5 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Environmental Policy Wages Near Plum

Plum is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $65,360 Pittsburgh, PA $69,018
Compliance Officers $70,560 Pittsburgh, PA $74,509
Management Analysts $85,990 Pittsburgh, PA $90,803
Economists $122,980 Pittsburgh, PA $129,863
Political Scientists $140,020 PA statewide $147,856
Conservation Scientists $58,960 Pittsburgh, PA $62,260
Natural Sciences Managers $137,900 PA statewide $145,618
Environmental Engineers $98,010 Pittsburgh, PA $103,495

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.


Plum at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,873 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $98,475 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 43.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Plum-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Plum are: Political Scientists ($140,020), Natural Sciences Managers ($137,900), Economists ($122,980). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Monroeville instead of Plum?

Monroeville, PA is 5.3 miles from Plum 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 Plum an affordable place to study environmental policy?

Plum’s median household income of $98,475 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Plum while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Plum

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.