Best Public Policy Schools Near Pontiac, MI (2026)

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

Pontiac, Michigan has 4 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $14,760 to $30,681 per year for indexed programs. Pontiac has a population of about 61,914. Median household income is $42,791 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $106,350 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Pontiac

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Pontiac, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Pontiac 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 Pontiac. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI 34.3 miles from Pontiac
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,648
Avg net price $13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 206

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 60.6 miles from Pontiac
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,253
Avg net price $19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Albion College

Albion, MI 79.4 miles from Pontiac
  • 4 year
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,799
Avg net price $14,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI 99.3 miles from Pontiac
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,874
Avg net price $17,597/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,760
Out‑of‑state$14,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 121.2 miles from Pontiac
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI 401.9 miles from Pontiac
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,198
Avg net price $14,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Public Policy Wages Near Pontiac

Pontiac is part of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (BLS area code 19820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $79,990 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $79,751
Management Analysts $100,570 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $100,269
Economists $106,350 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $106,032
Social and Community Service Managers $86,450 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $86,191
Survey Researchers $83,190 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $82,941
Compliance Officers $81,250 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $81,007
General and Operations Managers $104,010 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $103,699
Financial and Investment Analysts $101,550 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $101,246

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.

Pontiac at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 61,914 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $42,791 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Pontiac-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Pontiac, MI?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Pontiac. The closest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI (34.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Michigan University (99.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Pontiac are: Economists ($106,350), General and Operations Managers ($104,010), Financial and Investment Analysts ($101,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn Hills instead of Pontiac?

Auburn Hills, MI is 2.8 miles from Pontiac 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 Pontiac an affordable place to study public policy?

Pontiac’s median household income of $42,791 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pontiac while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Pontiac

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

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 Michigan: Online Programs (2026)