Best Public Policy Schools Near Norristown, PA (2026)

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

Norristown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Norristown has a population of about 35,782. Median household income is $65,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning public policy-related role is Political Scientists at a median $140,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Norristown

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

Ursinus College

Collegeville, PA 7.9 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
60.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,721
Avg net price $30,536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA 10.3 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,881
Avg net price $29,689/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 13.8 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,727
Avg net price $28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 14.0 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,648
Avg net price $38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 14.1 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $111,371
Avg net price $28,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 18.0 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,258
Avg net price $23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 33.5 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $105,584
Avg net price $36,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 66.2 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,399
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Norristown

Norristown is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $140,020 PA statewide $136,472
Management Analysts $100,920 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $98,363
Economists $139,530 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $135,994
Social and Community Service Managers $80,810 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $78,762
Survey Researchers $63,310 PA statewide $61,706
Compliance Officers $83,000 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $80,897
General and Operations Managers $121,630 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $118,548
Financial and Investment Analysts $95,400 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $92,982

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.

Norristown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,782 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,058 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Norristown-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Norristown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Norristown. The closest is Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA (7.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Pennsylvania (14.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Norristown are: Political Scientists ($140,020), Economists ($139,530), General and Operations Managers ($121,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Philadelphia instead of Norristown?

Philadelphia, PA is 13.5 miles from Norristown 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 Norristown an affordable place to study public policy?

Norristown’s median household income of $65,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norristown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Norristown

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

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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