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Best Public Policy Schools Near Paragould, AR (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Paragould, Arkansas is home to about 29,940 residents. Median household income is $56,181 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Arkansas, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $91,560 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Public Policy Schools to Paragould
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Paragould, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Paragould 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 Paragould.
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.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arkansas schools on the Arkansas public policy page.
Public Policy Wages Near Paragould
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (Arkansas, statewide)
Political Scientists
N/A
Management Analysts
$72,950
Economists
$91,560
Social and Community Service Managers
$56,100
Survey Researchers
N/A
Compliance Officers
$64,680
General and Operations Managers
$74,050
Financial and Investment Analysts
$81,110
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.
Paragould at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
29,940
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$56,181
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
16.3%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Paragould-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs
What are the highest-paying public policy roles in Arkansas?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles in Arkansas are: Economists ($91,560), Financial and Investment Analysts ($81,110), General and Operations Managers ($74,050). Wages for Paragould workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Jonesboro instead of Paragould?
Jonesboro, AR is 18.7 miles from Paragould and has its own set of local public policy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Paragould an affordable place to study public policy?
Paragould’s median household income of $56,181 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paragould while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas 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 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.
