Best Public Policy Schools Near Aurora, CO (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Aurora, Colorado has 3 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $10,383 to $78,476 per year for indexed programs. Aurora has a population of about 390,201. Median household income is $84,320 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $142,330 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Aurora

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

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 6.4 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Denver

Denver, CO 12.7 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO 62.7 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,543
Avg net price $21,279/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,373
Out‑of‑state$34,783
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Aurora

Aurora is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $127,260 CO statewide $120,284
Management Analysts $102,620 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $96,994
Economists $121,410 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $114,754
Social and Community Service Managers $101,310 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $95,756
Survey Researchers $77,500 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $73,251
Compliance Officers $83,580 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $78,998
General and Operations Managers $142,330 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $134,527
Financial and Investment Analysts $104,480 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $98,752

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.

Aurora at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 390,201 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,320 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Aurora-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Aurora, CO?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Aurora. The closest is University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, CO (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Colorado State University-Fort Collins (62.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Aurora?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Aurora are: General and Operations Managers ($142,330), Political Scientists ($127,260), Economists ($121,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Denver instead of Aurora?

Denver, CO is 8.7 miles from Aurora 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 Aurora an affordable place to study public policy?

Aurora’s median household income of $84,320 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aurora while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Aurora

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

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.

Back to Best Public Policy Schools in Colorado: Online Programs (2026)