Best Online Business Administration Programs in Pekin, IL (2026)

Pekin, Illinois has a population of about 31,812. The city’s median household income is $58,355 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 29 accredited schools offering business administration programs near Pekin, with tuition ranging from $4,650 to $68,399 per year for indexed programs. In the Peoria, IL metro area, the top-earning business administration-related role is Financial Manager at a median $132,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Business Administration Schools to Pekin

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 29 schools in our directory that offer business administration programs near Pekin. Distances are calculated from Pekin city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL8.9 miContact school for pricing
Illinois Central CollegeEast Peoria, IL11.0 mi$4,650 - $17,251
Eureka CollegeEureka, IL21.3 miContact school for pricing
Spoon River CollegeCanton, IL23.6 miContact school for pricing
Heartland Community CollegeNormal, IL32.2 miContact school for pricing
Lincoln Christian UniversityLincoln, IL32.5 miContact school for pricing
Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL33.7 miContact school for pricing
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, IL33.7 mi$55,704 - $68,399
Knox CollegeGalesburg, IL46.9 miContact school for pricing
Carl Sandburg CollegeGalesburg, IL49.9 miContact school for pricing

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois business administration page.


Business Administration Wages Near Pekin

Pekin is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$95,690Peoria, IL$104,923
Administrative Services Manager$102,900Peoria, IL$112,829
Financial Manager$132,730Peoria, IL$145,537
Human Resources Manager$124,030Peoria, IL$135,998
Management Analyst$92,620Peoria, IL$101,557
Project Management Specialist$94,980Peoria, IL$104,145
Accountant or Auditor$75,140Peoria, IL$82,390
Training and Development Specialist$74,600Peoria, IL$81,798
Office and Administrative Support Supervisor$63,020Peoria, IL$69,101

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Pekin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population31,812Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$58,355Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Business Administration-related employment in Tazewell County560 workers, 95 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Pekin-Area Cities With Business Administration Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited business administration schools are near Pekin, IL?

Our directory has 29 accredited schools offering business administration programs near Pekin. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (8.9 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Carl Sandburg College (49.9 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying business administration roles near Pekin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying business administration-related roles near Pekin are: Financial Manager ($132,730), Human Resources Manager ($124,030), Administrative Services Manager ($102,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in East Peoria instead of Pekin?

East Peoria, IL is 8.6 miles from Pekin and has its own set of local business administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Pekin an affordable place to study business administration?

Pekin’s median household income of $58,355 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pekin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.