Best Public Policy Schools Near Walker, MI (2026)

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

Walker, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $14,760 to $30,681 per year for indexed programs. Walker has a population of about 25,201. Median household income is $73,835 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Michigan, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $106,350 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Walker

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

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 49.1 miles from Walker
  • 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

#2

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI 64.2 miles from Walker
  • 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

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#3

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 66.6 miles from Walker
  • 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

#4

Albion College

Albion, MI 72.1 miles from Walker
  • 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

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#5

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI 113.2 miles from Walker
  • 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

#6

Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI 316.6 miles from Walker
  • 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

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

Public Policy Wages Near Walker

Walker is part of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area (BLS area code 24340). 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 $86,290 MI statewide $90,356
Management Analysts $81,710 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $85,560
Economists $106,350 MI statewide $111,361
Social and Community Service Managers $84,280 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $88,251
Survey Researchers $101,550 MI statewide $106,335
Compliance Officers $68,780 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $72,021
General and Operations Managers $101,720 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $106,513
Financial and Investment Analysts $88,210 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $92,366

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.

Walker at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,201 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $73,835 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Walker-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Walker. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (49.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Notre Dame (92.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Walker are: Economists ($106,350), General and Operations Managers ($101,720), Survey Researchers ($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 Grand Rapids instead of Walker?

Grand Rapids, MI is 4.8 miles from Walker 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 Walker an affordable place to study public policy?

Walker’s median household income of $73,835 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Walker 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 Walker

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

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)