Best Public Policy Schools Near Watertown, NY (2026)

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

Watertown, New York has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Watertown has a population of about 24,574. Median household income is $49,692 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $136,660 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Watertown

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

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 65.7 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY 68.6 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
69.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,411
Avg net price $28,985/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 107.6 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,571
Avg net price $34,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 109.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Keuka College

Keuka Park, NY 111.1 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 68%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,289
Avg net price $24,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,332
Out‑of‑state$39,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY 123.2 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,080
Avg net price $11,676/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY 130.3 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 39%
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,596
Avg net price $21,620/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,567
Out‑of‑state$30,447
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University at Albany

Albany, NY 137.5 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,979
Avg net price $17,167/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,866
Out‑of‑state$31,256
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Watertown

Watertown is part of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area (BLS area code 48060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A NY statewide –
Management Analysts $81,590 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $93,033
Economists $136,660 NY statewide $155,827
Social and Community Service Managers $76,670 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $87,423
Survey Researchers $86,890 NY statewide $99,076
Compliance Officers $91,560 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $104,401
General and Operations Managers $93,870 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY $107,035
Financial and Investment Analysts $127,930 NY statewide $145,872

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.

Watertown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,574 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $49,692 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Watertown-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Watertown, NY?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Watertown. The closest is Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY (65.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hamilton College (68.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Watertown are: Economists ($136,660), Financial and Investment Analysts ($127,930), General and Operations Managers ($93,870). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oswego instead of Watertown?

Oswego, NY is 46.6 miles from Watertown 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 Watertown an affordable place to study public policy?

Watertown’s median household income of $49,692 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Watertown

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

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 New York: Online Programs (2026)