Best Public Policy Schools Near Lees Summit, MO (2026)

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

Lees Summit, Missouri has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Lees Summit has a population of about 89,467. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $128,520 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Lees Summit

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

Park University

Parkville, MO 24.7 miles from Lees Summit
  • 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

#2

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 110.3 miles from Lees Summit
  • 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

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#3

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 126.0 miles from Lees Summit
  • 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

#4

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 132.9 miles from Lees Summit
  • 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

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 220.0 miles from Lees Summit
  • 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

#6

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO 224.2 miles from Lees Summit
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Missouri schools on the Missouri public policy page.

Public Policy Wages Near Lees Summit

Lees Summit is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). 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 $98,430 Kansas City, MO-KS $106,411
Economists $128,520 Kansas City, MO-KS $138,941
Social and Community Service Managers $78,920 Kansas City, MO-KS $85,319
Survey Researchers $69,100 Kansas City, MO-KS $74,703
Compliance Officers $77,650 Kansas City, MO-KS $83,946
General and Operations Managers $90,490 Kansas City, MO-KS $97,827
Financial and Investment Analysts $97,680 Kansas City, MO-KS $105,600

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.

Lees Summit at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lees Summit-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Lees Summit, MO?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Lees Summit. The closest is Park University in Parkville, MO (24.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Kansas (46.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Lees Summit?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Lees Summit are: Economists ($128,520), Management Analysts ($98,430), Financial and Investment Analysts ($97,680). 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 Raytown instead of Lees Summit?

Raytown, MO is 6.9 miles from Lees Summit 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.

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 Lees Summit

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

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)