Best General Studies Schools Near Lakeland, FL (2026)

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

Lakeland, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $32,950 to $49,329 per year for indexed programs. Lakeland has a population of about 117,030. Median household income is $60,947 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $96,220 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Lakeland

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

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, FL 1.6 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,294
Avg net price $28,551/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 2.8 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 74

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

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#3

Florida Polytechnic University

Lakeland, FL 9.3 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
46.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Avg net price $11,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Lakeland

Lakeland is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area (BLS area code 29460). 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 $96,220 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $99,094
Management Analysts $79,990 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $82,379
Human Resources Specialists $62,970 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $64,851
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $76,630 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $78,919
Writers and Authors $68,080 FL statewide $70,113
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $58,000 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $59,732
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $63,580 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $65,479
Social and Community Service Managers $70,400 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $72,503

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.

Lakeland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 117,030 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,947 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lakeland-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Lakeland. The closest is Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Herzing University-Tampa (23.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Lakeland are: General and Operations Managers ($96,220), Management Analysts ($79,990), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($76,630). 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 Plant City instead of Lakeland?

Plant City, FL is 10.5 miles from Lakeland 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 Lakeland an affordable place to study general studies?

Lakeland’s median household income of $60,947 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakeland 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 Lakeland

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

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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