Best Online Education Programs in South Bend, IN (2026)

South Bend, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $15,298 to $28,655 per year for indexed programs. South Bend has a population of about 102,866. Median household income is $52,512 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $92,660 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to South Bend

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education programs near South Bend, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South Bend 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 South Bend. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 2.5 miles from South Bend BOC Score 43.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,947
Avg net price $8,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana education page.


Education Wages Near South Bend

South Bend is part of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area (BLS area code 43780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$60,280South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$64,887
Elementary School Teacher$58,180South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$62,626
Middle School Teacher$57,080South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$61,442
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$65,160South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$70,140
Education Administrator, K-12$92,660South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$99,742
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$83,950South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$90,366
Tutor$31,730South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$34,155
Educational and Career Counselor$58,320South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI$62,777

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.


South Bend at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population102,866Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,512Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in St. Joseph County8,857 workers, 90 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other South Bend-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near South Bend, IN?

Accredited schools offering education programs near South Bend are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near South Bend?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near South Bend are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($92,660), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($83,950), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($65,160). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Elkhart instead of South Bend?

Elkhart, IN is 15.9 miles from South Bend and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is South Bend an affordable place to study education?

South Bend’s median household income of $52,512 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Bend while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in South Bend

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.