Best Public Policy Schools Near Columbia, MO (2026)

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

Columbia, Missouri has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs. Columbia has a population of about 127,200. Median household income is $64,488 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 56.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $117,010 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Columbia

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

Columbia, MO 0.2 miles from Columbia
  • 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

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

Public Policy Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Columbia, MO metro area (BLS area code 17860). 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 $84,870 Columbia, MO $94,933
Economists $117,010 MO statewide $130,884
Social and Community Service Managers $72,240 Columbia, MO $80,805
Survey Researchers $66,460 MO statewide $74,340
Compliance Officers $65,390 Columbia, MO $73,143
General and Operations Managers $75,410 Columbia, MO $84,351
Financial and Investment Analysts $85,130 Columbia, MO $95,224

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.

Columbia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 127,200 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,488 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 56.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Columbia. The closest is University of Missouri-Columbia in Columbia, MO (0.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Missouri-Columbia (0.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Columbia are: Economists ($117,010), Financial and Investment Analysts ($85,130), Management Analysts ($84,870). 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 Jefferson City instead of Columbia?

Jefferson City, MO is 27.5 miles from Columbia 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 Columbia an affordable place to study public policy?

Columbia’s median household income of $64,488 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia 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 Columbia

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

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)