Best Art History Schools Near Reading, PA (2026)

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

Reading, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs. Reading has a population of about 94,836. Median household income is $45,599 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning art history-related role is Writers and Authors at a median $77,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Art History Schools to Reading

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

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA 14.1 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,775
Avg net price $21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, PA 28.2 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,107
Avg net price $28,905/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 28.9 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,124
Avg net price $36,425/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA 34.1 miles from Reading
  • 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

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#5

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 37.4 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $100,423
Avg net price $43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA 38.9 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
65.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,217
Avg net price $31,759/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,920
Out‑of‑state$65,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Haverford College

Haverford, PA 40.1 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,966
Avg net price $25,314/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA 42.6 miles from Reading
  • 4 year
73.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,257
Avg net price $23,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Art History Wages Near Reading

Reading is part of the Reading, PA metro area (BLS area code 39740). 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)
Curators $62,100 PA statewide $63,955
Archivists $60,690 PA statewide $62,503
Museum Technicians and Conservators $47,150 PA statewide $48,558
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators $54,270 PA statewide $55,891
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $75,200 Reading, PA $77,446
Writers and Authors $77,410 PA statewide $79,722
Graphic Designers $54,340 Reading, PA $55,963
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,040 Reading, PA $64,923

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.

Reading at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,836 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $45,599 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 11.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Reading-Area Cities With Art History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited art history schools are near Reading, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs near Reading. The closest is Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in Kutztown, PA (14.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Villanova University (37.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying art history roles near Reading?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying art history-related roles near Reading are: Writers and Authors ($77,410), Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary ($75,200), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($63,040). 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 Pottstown instead of Reading?

Pottstown, PA is 16.1 miles from Reading and has its own set of local art history programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Reading an affordable place to study art history?

Reading’s median household income of $45,599 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Reading 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 Art History Programs

Other Programs Available in Reading

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

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 Art History Schools in Pennsylvania (2026)