Best General Studies Schools Near Clearwater, FL (2026)

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

Clearwater, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $16,300 to $51,614 per year for indexed programs. Clearwater has a population of about 117,075. Median household income is $64,440 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $103,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Clearwater

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

Trinity College of Florida

Trinity, FL 15.8 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
22.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,465
Avg net price $20,297/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,300
Out‑of‑state$16,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 22%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 16.1 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 18.3 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 18.9 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pasco-Hernando State College

New Port Richey, FL 21.7 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,903
Avg net price $5,203/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 22.0 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Florida College

Temple Terrace, FL 23.4 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,445
Avg net price $23,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Herzing University-Tampa

Tampa, FL 26.0 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.8 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $20,421/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida general studies page.

General Studies Wages Near Clearwater

Clearwater is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area (BLS area code 45300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $103,670 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $102,745
Management Analysts $95,840 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $94,985
Human Resources Specialists $65,580 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $64,995
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $75,210 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $74,539
Writers and Authors $72,560 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $71,913
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,030 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $60,486
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $63,650 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $63,082
Social and Community Service Managers $77,560 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $76,868

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.

Clearwater at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 117,075 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,440 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Clearwater-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Clearwater, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Clearwater. The closest is Trinity College of Florida in Trinity, FL (15.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pasco-Hernando State College (21.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Clearwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Clearwater are: General and Operations Managers ($103,670), Management Analysts ($95,840), Social and Community Service Managers ($77,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dunedin instead of Clearwater?

Dunedin, FL is 4.0 miles from Clearwater and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Clearwater an affordable place to study general studies?

Clearwater’s median household income of $64,440 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clearwater while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Clearwater

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

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.

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