Best Public Policy Schools Near East Chicago, IN (2026)

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

East Chicago, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs. East Chicago has a population of about 26,158. Median household income is $41,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 9.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $109,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to East Chicago

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

Notre Dame, IN 62.8 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $99,980
Avg net price $26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN 145.9 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,198
Avg net price $11,668/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 204

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Earlham College

Richmond, IN 183.2 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,797
Avg net price $24,714/yr
Tuition
In‑state$53,930
Out‑of‑state$53,930
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near East Chicago

East Chicago is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $103,780 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $100,174
Management Analysts $105,090 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $101,438
Economists $80,750 IN statewide $77,944
Social and Community Service Managers $79,150 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $76,400
Survey Researchers $54,080 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $52,201
Compliance Officers $82,020 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $79,170
General and Operations Managers $109,390 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $105,589
Financial and Investment Analysts $101,750 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $98,214

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.

East Chicago at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,158 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $41,071 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 9.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other East Chicago-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near East Chicago, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near East Chicago. The closest is University of Chicago in Chicago, IL (12.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Loyola University Chicago (26.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near East Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near East Chicago are: General and Operations Managers ($109,390), Management Analysts ($105,090), Political Scientists ($103,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hammond instead of East Chicago?

Hammond, IN is 2.9 miles from East Chicago 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 East Chicago an affordable place to study public policy?

East Chicago’s median household income of $41,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Chicago while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 East Chicago

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

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 Indiana: Online Programs (2026)