Best Public Policy Schools Near Jefferson City, MO (2026)

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

Jefferson City, Missouri has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs. Jefferson City has a population of about 42,565. Median household income is $67,205 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.9% 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 Jefferson City

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

Columbia, MO 27.4 miles from Jefferson City
  • 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

#2

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 100.9 miles from Jefferson City
  • 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

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#3

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO 104.9 miles from Jefferson City
  • 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

#4

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 112.1 miles from Jefferson City
  • 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 141.3 miles from Jefferson City
  • 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 161.0 miles from Jefferson City
  • 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 Jefferson City

Jefferson City is part of the Jefferson City, MO metro area (BLS area code 27620). 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 $72,430 Jefferson City, MO $82,307
Economists $117,010 MO statewide $132,966
Social and Community Service Managers $67,810 Jefferson City, MO $77,057
Survey Researchers $66,460 MO statewide $75,523
Compliance Officers $46,040 Jefferson City, MO $52,318
General and Operations Managers $76,170 Jefferson City, MO $86,557
Financial and Investment Analysts $70,780 Jefferson City, MO $80,432

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.

Jefferson City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 42,565 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,205 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Jefferson City-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Jefferson City, MO?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Jefferson City. The closest is University of Missouri-Columbia in Columbia, MO (27.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Missouri-Columbia (27.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Jefferson City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Jefferson City are: Economists ($117,010), General and Operations Managers ($76,170), Management Analysts ($72,430). 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 Columbia instead of Jefferson City?

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

Jefferson City’s median household income of $67,205 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City

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

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)