Best General Studies Schools Near Edwardsville, IL (2026)

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

Edwardsville, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $4,340 to $9,592 per year for indexed programs. Edwardsville has a population of about 26,543. Median household income is $92,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.3% 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 Edwardsville

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

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL 0.5 miles from Edwardsville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,346
Avg net price $14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Edwardsville

Edwardsville 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.

Edwardsville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,543 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $92,671 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Edwardsville-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Edwardsville, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Edwardsville. The closest is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Edwardsville, IL (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Louis University (17.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Edwardsville 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 Collinsville instead of Edwardsville?

Collinsville, IL is 8.0 miles from Edwardsville 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 Edwardsville an affordable place to study general studies?

Edwardsville’s median household income of $92,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Edwardsville 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 Edwardsville

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

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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