Peoria, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $16,144 to $68,134 per year for indexed programs. Peoria has a population of about 112,126. Median household income is $58,716 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Scientists at a median $103,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Political Science Schools to Peoria
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science programs near Peoria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Peoria 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 Peoria.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 97
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois political science page.
Political Science Wages Near Peoria
Peoria is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Political Scientists |
$103,780 |
IL statewide |
$113,794 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary |
$100,700 |
IL statewide |
$110,417 |
| Management Analysts |
$96,530 |
Peoria, IL |
$105,844 |
| Public Relations Specialists |
$76,150 |
Peoria, IL |
$83,498 |
| Survey Researchers |
$54,080 |
IL statewide |
$59,298 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants |
$61,220 |
Peoria, IL |
$67,127 |
| Compliance Officers |
$77,830 |
Peoria, IL |
$85,340 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$74,060 |
Peoria, IL |
$81,206 |
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.
Peoria at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
112,126 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$58,716 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
38.0% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
91.2 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Peoria-Area Cities With Political Science Programs
- East Peoria, IL – 6.6 mi away (22,939 pop)
- Pekin, IL – 12.7 mi away (33,038 pop)
- Normal, IL – 36.5 mi away (54,264 pop)
- Bloomington, IL – 38.9 mi away (135,015 pop)
- Galesburg, IL – 42.1 mi away (34,620 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited political science schools are near Peoria, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Peoria. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (3.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Monmouth College (54.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying political science roles near Peoria?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Peoria are: Political Scientists ($103,780), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($100,700), Management Analysts ($96,530). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in East Peoria instead of Peoria?
East Peoria, IL is 6.6 miles from Peoria and has its own set of local political science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Peoria an affordable place to study political science?
Peoria’s median household income of $58,716 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Peoria while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Political Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Peoria
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Peoria:
- History programs in Peoria, IL
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- Sociology programs in Peoria, IL
- Anthropology programs in Peoria, IL
- Philosophy programs in Peoria, IL
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- General Studies programs in Peoria, IL
- Forensic Psychology programs in Peoria, IL
- Child Development programs in Peoria, IL
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- Electrical Engineering programs in Peoria, IL
- Software Engineering programs in Peoria, IL
- Engineering Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Geography programs in Peoria, IL
- Aviation Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Public Policy programs in Peoria, IL
- International Relations programs in Peoria, IL
- Chemistry programs in Peoria, IL
- Physics programs in Peoria, IL
- Neuroscience programs in Peoria, IL
- Spanish programs in Peoria, IL
- Film programs in Peoria, IL
- Fashion programs in Peoria, IL
- Architecture programs in Peoria, IL
- Urban Planning programs in Peoria, IL
- Industrial Design programs in Peoria, IL
- Game Design programs in Peoria, IL
- Instructional Design programs in Peoria, IL
- Higher Education Administration programs in Peoria, IL
- Global Health programs in Peoria, IL
- Art History programs in Peoria, IL
- Creative Writing programs in Peoria, IL
- Environmental Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Nutrition programs in Peoria, IL
- Theology programs in Peoria, IL
- Library Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Peoria, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Peoria, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Peoria, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Peoria, IL
- Health Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Peoria, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Peoria, IL
- Interior Design programs in Peoria, IL
- Photography programs in Peoria, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Peoria, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Peoria, IL
- Journalism programs in Peoria, IL
- Public Relations programs in Peoria, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Peoria, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Peoria, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Peoria, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Peoria, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Peoria, IL
- Business Development programs in Peoria, IL
- Construction Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Economics programs in Peoria, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Peoria, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Peoria, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Peoria, IL
- International Business programs in Peoria, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Peoria, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Peoria, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Operations Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Public Administration programs in Peoria, IL
- Real Estate programs in Peoria, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Retail Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Risk Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Statistics programs in Peoria, IL
- Taxation programs in Peoria, IL
- Corrections programs in Peoria, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Peoria, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Peoria, IL
- Criminology programs in Peoria, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Peoria, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Fire Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Legal Services programs in Peoria, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Peoria, IL
- Paralegal programs in Peoria, IL
- Security Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Peoria, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Peoria, IL
- Innovation programs in Peoria, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Peoria, IL
- Software Development programs in Peoria, IL
- User Experience programs in Peoria, IL
- Web Development programs in Peoria, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Peoria, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Peoria, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Peoria, IL
- Public Health programs in Peoria, IL
- Human Resources programs in Peoria, IL
- Project Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Special Education programs in Peoria, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Peoria, IL
- Marketing programs in Peoria, IL
- Finance programs in Peoria, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Peoria, IL
- Sports Management programs in Peoria, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Peoria, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Peoria, IL
- Biology programs in Peoria, IL
- Communications programs in Peoria, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Peoria, IL
- Human Services programs in Peoria, IL
- MBA programs in Peoria, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Peoria, IL
- Nursing programs in Peoria, IL
- Business Administration programs in Peoria, IL
- Computer Science programs in Peoria, IL
- Psychology programs in Peoria, IL
- Education programs in Peoria, IL
- Engineering programs in Peoria, IL
- Technology programs in Peoria, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Peoria, IL
- Healthcare programs in Peoria, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Peoria, IL
- Accounting programs in Peoria, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Peoria, IL
- Social Work programs in Peoria, IL
- Counseling programs in Peoria, IL
Data verified: September 5, 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.
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