Best Public Policy Schools Near Trenton, NJ (2026)

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

Trenton, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Trenton has a population of about 89,966. Median household income is $47,102 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $181,450 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Trenton

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

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, NJ 3.2 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,323
Avg net price $27,646/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rider University

Lawrenceville, NJ 4.0 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,208
Avg net price $24,792/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ 10.2 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
88.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $110,066
Avg net price $6,128/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ 25.3 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $24,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 185

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Rutgers University-Camden

Camden, NJ 26.9 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ 40.2 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,988
Avg net price $22,408/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,574
Out‑of‑state$26,932
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 184

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Saint Peter's University

Jersey City, NJ 50.3 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,815
Avg net price $12,199/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ 53.1 miles from Trenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,415
Avg net price $15,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 114

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Trenton

Trenton is part of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area (BLS area code 45940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A NJ statewide –
Management Analysts $102,020 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $98,857
Economists $167,550 NJ statewide $162,355
Social and Community Service Managers $96,650 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $93,653
Survey Researchers $95,580 NJ statewide $92,616
Compliance Officers $87,970 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $85,242
General and Operations Managers $181,450 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $175,824
Financial and Investment Analysts $101,280 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $98,140

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.

Trenton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 89,966 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,102 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Trenton-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Trenton, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Trenton. The closest is The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ (3.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Temple University (26.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Trenton are: General and Operations Managers ($181,450), Economists ($167,550), Management Analysts ($102,020). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Princeton instead of Trenton?

Princeton, NJ is 10.4 miles from Trenton 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 Trenton an affordable place to study public policy?

Trenton’s median household income of $47,102 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Trenton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 Trenton

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

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.

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