Best Public Policy Schools Near Topeka, KS (2026)

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

Topeka, Kansas has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Topeka has a population of about 126,103. Median household income is $55,902 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kansas, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $138,790 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Topeka

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

Lawrence, KS 24.6 miles from Topeka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,945
Avg net price $18,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Topeka

Topeka is part of the Topeka, KS metro area (BLS area code 45820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A KS statewide –
Management Analysts $66,710 Topeka, KS $75,124
Economists $138,790 KS statewide $156,295
Social and Community Service Managers $79,970 Topeka, KS $90,056
Survey Researchers $57,700 KS statewide $64,977
Compliance Officers $62,950 Topeka, KS $70,890
General and Operations Managers $85,080 Topeka, KS $95,811
Financial and Investment Analysts $84,500 Topeka, KS $95,158

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.

Topeka at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 126,103 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,902 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Topeka-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Topeka, KS?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Topeka. The closest is University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS (24.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Park University (55.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Topeka are: Economists ($138,790), General and Operations Managers ($85,080), Financial and Investment Analysts ($84,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lawrence instead of Topeka?

Lawrence, KS is 23.7 miles from Topeka 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 Topeka an affordable place to study public policy?

Topeka’s median household income of $55,902 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Topeka while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Topeka

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

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 Kansas: Online Programs (2026)