Best General Studies Schools Near New Castle, PA (2026)

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

New Castle, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $14,024 to $26,821 per year for indexed programs. New Castle has a population of about 21,727. Median household income is $41,478 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $100,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to New Castle

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

Westminster College

New Wilmington, PA 8.6 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,861
Avg net price $19,859/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, PA 15.5 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,004
Avg net price $25,890/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, PA 16.3 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,032
Avg net price $19,608/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango

Sharon, PA 18.6 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
38.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $18,095/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,024
Out‑of‑state$23,560
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Thiel College

Greenville, PA 28.9 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
29.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,714
Avg net price $22,347/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, PA 33.6 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,105
Avg net price $23,003/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

La Roche University

Pittsburgh, PA 34.2 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,341
Avg net price $20,794/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,856
Avg net price $25,942/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near New Castle

New Castle is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $100,840 Pittsburgh, PA $106,484
Management Analysts $85,990 Pittsburgh, PA $90,803
Human Resources Specialists $65,260 Pittsburgh, PA $68,912
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,190 Pittsburgh, PA $66,727
Writers and Authors $77,410 PA statewide $81,742
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $81,350 Pittsburgh, PA $85,903
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $63,260 Pittsburgh, PA $66,800
Social and Community Service Managers $74,170 Pittsburgh, PA $78,321

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.

New Castle at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 21,727 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $41,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other New Castle-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near New Castle, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near New Castle. The closest is Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA (8.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango (18.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near New Castle?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near New Castle are: General and Operations Managers ($100,840), Management Analysts ($85,990), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($81,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Youngstown instead of New Castle?

Youngstown, OH is 17.2 miles from New Castle 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 New Castle an affordable place to study general studies?

New Castle’s median household income of $41,478 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Castle while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 New Castle

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

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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