Best Public Policy Schools Near Decatur, IL (2026)

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

Decatur, Illinois has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs. Decatur has a population of about 70,368. Median household income is $50,809 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning public policy-related role is Political Scientists at a median $103,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Decatur

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

Springfield, IL 37.3 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,103
Avg net price $9,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Knox College

Galesburg, IL 106.7 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
54.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,820
Avg net price $24,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 150.6 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 154.6 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

DePaul University

Chicago, IL 155.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,751
Avg net price $30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Adler University

Chicago, IL 155.7 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 162.5 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 165.2 miles from Decatur
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Decatur

Decatur is part of the Decatur, IL metro area (BLS area code 19500). 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 $117,398
Management Analysts $103,690 Decatur, IL $117,296
Economists N/A IL statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $70,420 Decatur, IL $79,661
Survey Researchers $54,080 IL statewide $61,176
Compliance Officers $62,810 Decatur, IL $71,052
General and Operations Managers $96,120 Decatur, IL $108,733
Financial and Investment Analysts $72,620 Decatur, IL $82,149

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.

Decatur at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 70,368 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $50,809 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Decatur-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Decatur, IL?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Decatur. The closest is University of Illinois Springfield in Springfield, IL (37.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Springfield (37.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Decatur are: Political Scientists ($103,780), Management Analysts ($103,690), General and Operations Managers ($96,120). 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 Springfield instead of Decatur?

Springfield, IL is 38.7 miles from Decatur 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 Decatur an affordable place to study public policy?

Decatur’s median household income of $50,809 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Decatur 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 Public Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Decatur

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)