Best Online Education Programs in Chester, PA (2026)

Chester, Pennsylvania has a population of about 33,209. The city’s median household income is $39,809 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 167 accredited schools offering education programs near Chester, with tuition ranging from $13,920 to $80,014 per year for indexed programs. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $127,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Education Schools to Chester

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 167 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Chester. Distances are calculated from Chester city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Widener UniversityChester, PA1.4 miContact school for pricing
Neumann UniversityAston, PA4.1 miContact school for pricing
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA4.2 mi$62,412 - $80,014
Delaware County Community CollegeMedia, PA8.4 miContact school for pricing
Cheyney University of PennsylvaniaCheyney, PA10.3 miContact school for pricing
Salem Community CollegeCarneys Point, NJ11.4 miContact school for pricing
Strayer University-DelawareWilmington, DE11.7 mi$13,920
Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA11.7 miContact school for pricing
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA11.9 miContact school for pricing
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA12.3 miContact school for pricing

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


Education Wages Near Chester

Chester is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$78,440Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$76,452
Elementary School Teacher$74,480Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$72,593
Middle School Teacher$77,030Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$75,078
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$64,820Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$63,177
Education Administrator, K-12$127,120Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$123,899
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$108,200Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$105,458
Tutor$38,520Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$37,544
Educational and Career Counselor$66,940Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$65,244

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.


Chester at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population33,209Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$39,809Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+13.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Delaware County12,233 workers, 274 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Chester-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Chester, PA?

Our directory has 167 accredited schools offering education programs near Chester. The closest is Widener University in Chester, PA (1.4 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Drexel University (12.3 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Chester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Chester are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($127,120), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($108,200), Secondary School Teacher ($78,440). 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 Wilmington instead of Chester?

Wilmington, DE is 11.3 miles from Chester 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 Chester an affordable place to study education?

Chester’s median household income of $39,809 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chester 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.


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.