Best Public Policy Schools Near Tyler, TX (2026)

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

Tyler, Texas has 3 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $67,040 to $85,606 per year for indexed programs. Tyler has a population of about 107,718. Median household income is $65,527 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $121,420 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Tyler

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

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX 93.3 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,354
Avg net price $40,892/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,040
Out‑of‑state$67,040
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Texas at Dallas

Richardson, TX 95.7 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,227
Avg net price $18,267/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Dallas Baptist University

Dallas, TX 99.3 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,807
Avg net price $28,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Baylor University

Waco, TX 119.0 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,793
Avg net price $41,104/yr
Tuition
In‑state$58,100
Out‑of‑state$58,100
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 141

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX 132.2 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,097
Avg net price $21,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of St Thomas

Houston, TX 178.5 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,224
Avg net price $19,359/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,634
Out‑of‑state$34,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Houston

Houston, TX 179.5 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,377
Avg net price $14,276/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 150

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rice University

Houston, TX 179.8 miles from Tyler
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 8%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,718
Avg net price $13,370/yr
Tuition
In‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Tyler

Tyler is part of the Tyler, TX metro area (BLS area code 46340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists $114,050 TX statewide $123,698
Management Analysts $99,880 Tyler, TX $108,330
Economists $121,420 TX statewide $131,692
Social and Community Service Managers $71,600 Tyler, TX $77,657
Survey Researchers $47,330 TX statewide $51,334
Compliance Officers $61,180 Tyler, TX $66,356
General and Operations Managers $84,150 Tyler, TX $91,269
Financial and Investment Analysts $84,060 Tyler, TX $91,171

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.

Tyler at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 107,718 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,527 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 30.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Tyler-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Tyler, TX?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Tyler. The closest is Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX (93.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Dallas Baptist University (99.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Tyler are: Economists ($121,420), Political Scientists ($114,050), Management Analysts ($99,880). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Longview instead of Tyler?

Longview, TX is 34.6 miles from Tyler 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 Tyler an affordable place to study public policy?

Tyler’s median household income of $65,527 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tyler while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Tyler

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

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 Texas: Online Programs (2026)