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Best Public Policy Schools Near La Crosse, WI (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
La Crosse, Wisconsin is home to about 51,791 residents. Median household income is $53,803 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $102,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Policy Schools to La Crosse
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near La Crosse, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from La Crosse 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:
BOCSCORE
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 La Crosse.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Wisconsin schools on the Wisconsin public policy page.
Public Policy Wages Near La Crosse
La Crosse is part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area (BLS area code 29100). 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
$82,890
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$90,294
Economists
$84,000
WI statewide
$91,503
Social and Community Service Managers
$81,640
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$88,932
Survey Researchers
$92,660
WI statewide
$100,937
Compliance Officers
$81,640
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$88,932
General and Operations Managers
$102,670
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$111,841
Financial and Investment Analysts
$92,600
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
$100,871
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.
La Crosse at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
51,791
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$53,803
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
34.8%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
91.8 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other La Crosse-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs
What are the highest-paying public policy roles near La Crosse?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near La Crosse are: General and Operations Managers ($102,670), Survey Researchers ($92,660), Financial and Investment Analysts ($92,600). 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 Winona instead of La Crosse?
Winona, MN is 27.0 miles from La Crosse 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 La Crosse an affordable place to study public policy?
La Crosse’s median household income of $53,803 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in La Crosse 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.
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.
