Best Public Policy Schools Near Chesterfield, MO (2026)

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

Chesterfield, Missouri has 4 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Chesterfield has a population of about 49,591. Median household income is $133,380 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 72.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $132,630 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Chesterfield

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

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 14.6 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
85.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,182
Avg net price $21,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO 18.7 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,783
Avg net price $24,398/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 96.2 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,403
Avg net price $20,268/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 178.4 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,827
Avg net price $17,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 200

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Park University

Parkville, MO 223.3 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,309
Avg net price $21,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 237.6 miles from Chesterfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,620
Avg net price $12,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Chesterfield

Chesterfield is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A MO statewide –
Management Analysts $101,100 St. Louis, MO-IL $106,309
Economists $132,630 St. Louis, MO-IL $139,464
Social and Community Service Managers $73,980 St. Louis, MO-IL $77,792
Survey Researchers $49,940 St. Louis, MO-IL $52,513
Compliance Officers $77,270 St. Louis, MO-IL $81,251
General and Operations Managers $93,140 St. Louis, MO-IL $97,939
Financial and Investment Analysts $99,950 St. Louis, MO-IL $105,100

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.

Chesterfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 49,591 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $133,380 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 72.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chesterfield-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Chesterfield, MO?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Chesterfield. The closest is Washington University in St Louis in St. Louis, MO (14.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Missouri-Columbia (96.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Chesterfield are: Economists ($132,630), Management Analysts ($101,100), Financial and Investment Analysts ($99,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ballwin instead of Chesterfield?

Ballwin, MO is 4.7 miles from Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield an affordable place to study public policy?

Chesterfield’s median household income of $133,380 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chesterfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Chesterfield

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

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 Missouri: Online Programs (2026)