Best Financial Planning Schools Near Gardner, MA (2026)

Gardner, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering financial planning programs, with tuition ranging from $52,677 to $69,964 per year for indexed programs. Gardner has a population of about 21,075. Median household income is $62,948 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning financial planning-related role is Financial Managers at a median $170,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Financial Planning Schools to Gardner

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

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Regis College

Weston, MA 38.0 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,873
Avg net price $27,477/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

College of Our Lady of the Elms

Chicopee, MA 43.8 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,540
Avg net price $17,545/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 44.2 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,584
Avg net price $37,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 49.7 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,506
Avg net price $29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts financial planning page.


Financial Planning Wages Near Gardner

Gardner is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Personal Financial Advisors $120,400 Worcester, MA $117,463
Financial Managers $170,940 Worcester, MA $166,771
Financial and Investment Analysts $98,960 Worcester, MA $96,546
Accountants and Auditors $94,070 Worcester, MA $91,776
Financial Examiners $111,110 MA statewide $108,400
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $75,320 Worcester, MA $73,483
Loan Officers $94,220 Worcester, MA $91,922
Credit Counselors $60,680 Worcester, MA $59,200

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.


Gardner at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 21,075 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,948 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.5 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Gardner-Area Cities With Financial Planning Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited financial planning schools are near Gardner, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering financial planning programs near Gardner. The closest is Regis College in Weston, MA (38.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bryant University (51.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying financial planning roles near Gardner?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying financial planning-related roles near Gardner are: Financial Managers ($170,940), Personal Financial Advisors ($120,400), Financial Examiners ($111,110). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fitchburg instead of Gardner?

Fitchburg, MA is 8.7 miles from Gardner and has its own set of local financial planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Gardner an affordable place to study financial planning?

Gardner’s median household income of $62,948 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gardner while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Financial Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Gardner

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

Data verified: September 7, 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.