Best Public Administration Schools Near Urbandale, IA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Urbandale, Iowa has 4 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Urbandale has a population of about 46,026. Median household income is $113,086 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $98,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Urbandale

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Urbandale, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Urbandale 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 Urbandale. 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

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 7.2 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,901
Avg net price $29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 9.4 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,824
Avg net price $21,774/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 27.6 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 90.9 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 115.9 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 199

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 130.9 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,766
Avg net price $20,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,475
Out‑of‑state$19,475
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Dordt University

Sioux Center, IA 157.4 miles from Urbandale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,559
Avg net price $25,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa public administration page.

Public Administration Wages Near Urbandale

Urbandale is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Community Service Manager$73,840Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$80,523
Urban and Regional Planner$85,980Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$93,762
General and Operations Manager$98,780Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$107,721
Management Analyst$90,730Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$98,942

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.

Urbandale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population46,026Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,086Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Urbandale-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Urbandale, IA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Urbandale. The closest is Drake University in Des Moines, IA (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Northern Iowa (90.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Urbandale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Urbandale are: General and Operations Manager ($98,780), Management Analyst ($90,730), Urban and Regional Planner ($85,980). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnston instead of Urbandale?

Johnston, IA is 4.6 miles from Urbandale and has its own set of local public administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Urbandale an affordable place to study public administration?

Urbandale’s median household income of $113,086 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Urbandale while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Public Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Urbandale

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

Data verified: August 31, 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 Public Administration Schools in Iowa (2026)