Best Public Policy Schools Near Dubuque, IA (2026)

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

Dubuque, Iowa has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Dubuque has a population of about 59,271. Median household income is $64,985 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $96,310 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Dubuque

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

Cedar Falls, IA 89.3 miles from Dubuque
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Dubuque

Dubuque is part of the Dubuque, IA metro area (BLS area code 20220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A IA statewide –
Management Analysts $73,960 Dubuque, IA $84,719
Economists $96,310 IA statewide $110,321
Social and Community Service Managers $61,500 Dubuque, IA $70,447
Survey Researchers $83,170 IA statewide $95,269
Compliance Officers $60,870 Dubuque, IA $69,725
General and Operations Managers $92,530 Dubuque, IA $105,991
Financial and Investment Analysts $84,270 Dubuque, IA $96,529

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.

Dubuque at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,271 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,985 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Dubuque-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Dubuque, IA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Dubuque. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI (77.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Northern Iowa (89.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Dubuque are: Economists ($96,310), General and Operations Managers ($92,530), Financial and Investment Analysts ($84,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Dubuque?

Clinton, IA is 51.3 miles from Dubuque 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 Dubuque an affordable place to study public policy?

Dubuque’s median household income of $64,985 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dubuque while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Dubuque

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

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)