Best Public Policy Schools Near Fitchburg, WI (2026)

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

Fitchburg, Wisconsin has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs. Fitchburg has a population of about 31,566. Median household income is $85,420 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Madison, WI metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $126,620 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Fitchburg

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

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI 6.3 miles from Fitchburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,792
Avg net price $17,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 246

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Fitchburg

Fitchburg is part of the Madison, WI metro area (BLS area code 31540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A WI statewide –
Management Analysts $97,170 Madison, WI $99,866
Economists $88,770 Madison, WI $91,233
Social and Community Service Managers $88,130 Madison, WI $90,576
Survey Researchers $92,660 WI statewide $95,231
Compliance Officers $80,440 Madison, WI $82,672
General and Operations Managers $126,620 Madison, WI $130,134
Financial and Investment Analysts $103,750 Madison, WI $106,629

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.

Fitchburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,566 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $85,420 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fitchburg-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Fitchburg, WI?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Fitchburg. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI (6.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Madison (6.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Fitchburg are: General and Operations Managers ($126,620), Financial and Investment Analysts ($103,750), Management Analysts ($97,170). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Madison instead of Fitchburg?

Madison, WI is 6.8 miles from Fitchburg 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 Fitchburg an affordable place to study public policy?

Fitchburg’s median household income of $85,420 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fitchburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Fitchburg

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

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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