Best Public Policy Schools Near Palm Bay, FL (2026)

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

Palm Bay, Florida has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $6,368 to $23,133 per year for indexed programs. Palm Bay has a population of about 125,273. Median household income is $67,521 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $102,430 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Palm Bay

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

Orlando, FL 53.7 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
80.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL 116.7 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,746
Avg net price $8,752/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL 158.3 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,328
Avg net price $37,244/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, FL 173.1 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,010
Avg net price $25,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Palm Bay

Palm Bay is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area (BLS area code 37340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A FL statewide –
Management Analysts $99,680 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $99,680
Economists $102,430 FL statewide $102,430
Social and Community Service Managers $66,200 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $66,200
Survey Researchers N/A FL statewide –
Compliance Officers $84,230 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $84,230
General and Operations Managers $101,830 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $101,830
Financial and Investment Analysts $100,570 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $100,570

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.

Palm Bay at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 125,273 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,521 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.0 (at U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Bay-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Palm Bay, FL?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Palm Bay. The closest is University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL (53.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Central Florida (53.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Palm Bay?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Palm Bay are: Economists ($102,430), General and Operations Managers ($101,830), Financial and Investment Analysts ($100,570). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West Melbourne instead of Palm Bay?

West Melbourne, FL is 5.8 miles from Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay an affordable place to study public policy?

Palm Bay’s median household income of $67,521 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Bay while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Palm Bay

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

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 Florida: Online Programs (2026)