Best General Studies Schools Near Waltham, MA (2026)

Waltham, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $68,080 to $86,448 per year for indexed programs. Waltham has a population of about 64,723. Median household income is $116,560 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 56.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is Management Analysts at a median $135,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest General Studies Schools to Waltham

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

Bentley University

Waltham, MA 1.0 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $120,959
Avg net price $37,930/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA 1.8 miles from Waltham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,231
Avg net price $35,736/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,080
Out‑of‑state$68,080
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


General Studies Wages Near Waltham

Waltham is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $133,800 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $123,546
Management Analysts $135,640 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $125,245
Human Resources Specialists $90,270 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $83,352
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $102,390 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $94,543
Writers and Authors $85,260 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $78,726
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,850 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $91,274
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $77,990 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $72,013
Social and Community Service Managers $85,430 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $78,883

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.


Waltham at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 64,723 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $116,560 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 56.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waltham-Area Cities With General Studies Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Waltham, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Waltham. The closest is Bentley University in Waltham, MA (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Massachusetts Bay Community College (5.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Waltham are: Management Analysts ($135,640), General and Operations Managers ($133,800), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($102,390). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Watertown instead of Waltham?

Watertown, MA is 3.6 miles from Waltham 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 Waltham an affordable place to study general studies?

Waltham’s median household income of $116,560 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waltham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Waltham

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

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.