Alton, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $4,340 to $9,592 per year for indexed programs. Alton has a population of about 25,430. Median household income is $53,005 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is Management Analysts at a median $101,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest General Studies Schools to Alton
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Alton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Alton 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Alton.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,346
Avg net price
$14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,572
Avg net price
$24,717/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,802
Avg net price
$18,460/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,827
Avg net price
$19,533/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,575
Avg net price
$18,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 39
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,103
Avg net price
$9,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,262
Avg net price
$21,989/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 71
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,390
Avg net price
$13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 121
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois general studies page.
General Studies Wages Near Alton
Alton is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| General and Operations Managers |
$93,140 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$97,939 |
| Management Analysts |
$101,100 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$106,309 |
| Human Resources Specialists |
$71,670 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$75,363 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists |
$74,130 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$77,950 |
| Writers and Authors |
$57,390 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$60,347 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education |
$62,130 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$65,331 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers |
$68,590 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$72,124 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$73,980 |
St. Louis, MO-IL |
$77,792 |
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.
Alton at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
25,430 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$53,005 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
21.2% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
95.1 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Alton-Area Cities With General Studies Programs
- Edwardsville, IL – 11.7 mi away (25,071 pop)
- Florissant, MO – 11.8 mi away (51,776 pop)
- Granite City, IL – 12.1 mi away (28,908 pop)
- Ferguson, MO – 13.1 mi away (20,846 pop)
- Hazelwood, MO – 14.9 mi away (25,443 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited general studies schools are near Alton, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Alton. The closest is Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, IL (4.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Louis University (18.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Alton?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Alton are: Management Analysts ($101,100), General and Operations Managers ($93,140), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($74,130). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Edwardsville instead of Alton?
Edwardsville, IL is 11.7 miles from Alton 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 Alton an affordable place to study general studies?
Alton’s median household income of $53,005 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Alton
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Alton:
- History programs in Alton, IL
- English programs in Alton, IL
- Sociology programs in Alton, IL
- Anthropology programs in Alton, IL
- Political Science programs in Alton, IL
- Philosophy programs in Alton, IL
- Mathematics programs in Alton, IL
- Forensic Psychology programs in Alton, IL
- Child Development programs in Alton, IL
- Data Science programs in Alton, IL
- Electrical Engineering programs in Alton, IL
- Software Engineering programs in Alton, IL
- Engineering Management programs in Alton, IL
- Geography programs in Alton, IL
- Aviation Management programs in Alton, IL
- Public Policy programs in Alton, IL
- International Relations programs in Alton, IL
- Chemistry programs in Alton, IL
- Physics programs in Alton, IL
- Neuroscience programs in Alton, IL
- Spanish programs in Alton, IL
- Film programs in Alton, IL
- Fashion programs in Alton, IL
- Architecture programs in Alton, IL
- Urban Planning programs in Alton, IL
- Industrial Design programs in Alton, IL
- Game Design programs in Alton, IL
- Instructional Design programs in Alton, IL
- Higher Education Administration programs in Alton, IL
- Global Health programs in Alton, IL
- Art History programs in Alton, IL
- Creative Writing programs in Alton, IL
- Environmental Science programs in Alton, IL
- Nutrition programs in Alton, IL
- Theology programs in Alton, IL
- Library Science programs in Alton, IL
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Alton, IL
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Alton, IL
- Medical Assistant programs in Alton, IL
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Alton, IL
- Health Science programs in Alton, IL
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Alton, IL
- Entrepreneurship programs in Alton, IL
- Interior Design programs in Alton, IL
- Photography programs in Alton, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Alton, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Alton, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Alton, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Alton, IL
- Journalism programs in Alton, IL
- Public Relations programs in Alton, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Alton, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Alton, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Alton, IL
- Professional Writing programs in Alton, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Alton, IL
- Business Development programs in Alton, IL
- Construction Management programs in Alton, IL
- Economics programs in Alton, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Alton, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Alton, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Alton, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Alton, IL
- International Business programs in Alton, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Alton, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Alton, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Alton, IL
- Operations Management programs in Alton, IL
- Public Administration programs in Alton, IL
- Real Estate programs in Alton, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Alton, IL
- Retail Management programs in Alton, IL
- Risk Management programs in Alton, IL
- Statistics programs in Alton, IL
- Taxation programs in Alton, IL
- Corrections programs in Alton, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Alton, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Alton, IL
- Criminology programs in Alton, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Alton, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Alton, IL
- Fire Science programs in Alton, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Alton, IL
- Legal Services programs in Alton, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Alton, IL
- Paralegal programs in Alton, IL
- Security Management programs in Alton, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Alton, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Alton, IL
- Innovation programs in Alton, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Alton, IL
- Software Development programs in Alton, IL
- User Experience programs in Alton, IL
- Web Development programs in Alton, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Alton, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Alton, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Alton, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Alton, IL
- Public Health programs in Alton, IL
- Human Resources programs in Alton, IL
- Project Management programs in Alton, IL
- Special Education programs in Alton, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Alton, IL
- Marketing programs in Alton, IL
- Finance programs in Alton, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Alton, IL
- Sports Management programs in Alton, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Alton, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Alton, IL
- Biology programs in Alton, IL
- Communications programs in Alton, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Alton, IL
- Human Services programs in Alton, IL
- MBA programs in Alton, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Alton, IL
- Nursing programs in Alton, IL
- Business Administration programs in Alton, IL
- Computer Science programs in Alton, IL
- Psychology programs in Alton, IL
- Education programs in Alton, IL
- Engineering programs in Alton, IL
- Technology programs in Alton, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Alton, IL
- Healthcare programs in Alton, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Alton, IL
- Accounting programs in Alton, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Alton, IL
- Social Work programs in Alton, IL
- Counseling programs in Alton, IL
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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