Best Public Policy Schools Near Spartanburg, SC (2026)

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

Spartanburg, South Carolina has 3 accredited schools offering public policy programs. Spartanburg has a population of about 38,578. Median household income is $51,193 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Spartanburg, SC metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $108,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Spartanburg

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

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 50.2 miles from Spartanburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,101
Avg net price $23,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 54.7 miles from Spartanburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 136

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Spartanburg

Spartanburg is part of the Spartanburg, SC metro area (BLS area code 43900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A SC statewide –
Management Analysts $84,350 Spartanburg, SC $92,591
Economists N/A SC statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $78,430 Spartanburg, SC $86,092
Survey Researchers N/A SC statewide –
Compliance Officers $68,500 Spartanburg, SC $75,192
General and Operations Managers $108,100 Spartanburg, SC $118,661
Financial and Investment Analysts $90,630 Spartanburg, SC $99,484

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.

Spartanburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 38,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,193 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 33.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Spartanburg-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Spartanburg, SC?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Spartanburg. The closest is Anderson University in Anderson, SC (50.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Charlotte (72.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Spartanburg are: General and Operations Managers ($108,100), Financial and Investment Analysts ($90,630), Management Analysts ($84,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Greer instead of Spartanburg?

Greer, SC is 17.5 miles from Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg an affordable place to study public policy?

Spartanburg’s median household income of $51,193 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Spartanburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Spartanburg

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

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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