Best Public Policy Schools Near Marion, IA (2026)

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

Marion, Iowa has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $68,134 per year for indexed programs. Marion has a population of about 41,690. Median household income is $87,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is Management Analysts at a median $96,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Marion

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Marion, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Marion 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 Marion. 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 55.3 miles from Marion
  • 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 Marion

Marion is part of the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area (BLS area code 16300). 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 $96,670 Cedar Rapids, IA $108,618
Economists $96,310 IA statewide $108,213
Social and Community Service Managers $64,380 Cedar Rapids, IA $72,337
Survey Researchers $83,170 IA statewide $93,449
Compliance Officers $68,140 Cedar Rapids, IA $76,562
General and Operations Managers $90,620 Cedar Rapids, IA $101,820
Financial and Investment Analysts $82,840 Cedar Rapids, IA $93,079

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.

Marion at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 41,690 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,105 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 39.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Marion-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Marion. The closest is University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA (55.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Knox College (98.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Marion are: Management Analysts ($96,670), Economists ($96,310), General and Operations Managers ($90,620). 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 Cedar Rapids instead of Marion?

Cedar Rapids, IA is 7.2 miles from Marion 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 Marion an affordable place to study public policy?

Marion’s median household income of $87,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marion 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 Marion

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

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.

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