Best General Studies Schools Near Saint Charles, IL (2026)

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

Saint Charles, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Saint Charles has a population of about 32,733. Median household income is $115,350 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $109,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Saint Charles

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

Judson University

Elgin, IL 9.9 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 11.4 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 11.6 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,709
Avg net price $18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Central College

Naperville, IL 13.2 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 14.7 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary

Lisle, IL 15.2 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 18.9 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 23.4 miles from Saint Charles
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Saint Charles

Saint Charles is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). 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 $109,390 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $105,589
Management Analysts $105,090 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $101,438
Human Resources Specialists $78,210 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $75,492
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $80,400 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $77,606
Writers and Authors $75,940 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $73,301
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,970 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $95,531
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $71,730 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $69,237
Social and Community Service Managers $79,150 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $76,400

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.

Saint Charles at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 32,733 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $115,350 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 51.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Charles-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Saint Charles, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Saint Charles. The closest is Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL (6.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Aurora University (11.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Saint Charles?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Saint Charles are: General and Operations Managers ($109,390), Management Analysts ($105,090), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($98,970). 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 Geneva instead of Saint Charles?

Geneva, IL is 2.6 miles from Saint Charles 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 Saint Charles an affordable place to study general studies?

Saint Charles’s median household income of $115,350 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Charles 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 Saint Charles

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

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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