Best Public Policy Schools Near Urbandale, IA (2026)

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

Urbandale, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Urbandale has a population of about 46,026. Median household income is $113,086 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $98,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Urbandale

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Urbandale, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Urbandale 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 Urbandale. 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 90.9 miles from Urbandale
  • 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 Urbandale

Urbandale is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). 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 $90,730 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $98,942
Economists $96,310 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $105,027
Social and Community Service Managers $73,840 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $80,523
Survey Researchers $83,170 IA statewide $90,698
Compliance Officers $84,590 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $92,246
General and Operations Managers $98,780 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $107,721
Financial and Investment Analysts $98,490 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $107,405

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.

Urbandale at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 46,026 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $113,086 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 51.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Urbandale-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Urbandale. The closest is University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA (90.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Northern Iowa (90.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Urbandale are: General and Operations Managers ($98,780), Financial and Investment Analysts ($98,490), Economists ($96,310). 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 Johnston instead of Urbandale?

Johnston, IA is 4.6 miles from Urbandale 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 Urbandale an affordable place to study public policy?

Urbandale’s median household income of $113,086 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Urbandale 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 Urbandale

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

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)