Best General Studies Schools Near Norristown, PA (2026)

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

Norristown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Norristown has a population of about 35,782. Median household income is $65,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $121,630 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Norristown

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Norristown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Norristown 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 Norristown. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Eastern University

Saint Davids, PA 5.2 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,655
Avg net price $26,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 5.9 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $100,423
Avg net price $43,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA 6.2 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,555
Avg net price $20,150/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA 6.4 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
45.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,015
Avg net price $27,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,870
Out‑of‑state$39,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA 6.7 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
65.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,217
Avg net price $31,759/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,920
Out‑of‑state$65,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Arcadia University

Glenside, PA 9.5 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,336
Avg net price $29,466/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA 10.3 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,881
Avg net price $29,689/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

La Salle University

Philadelphia, PA 11.5 miles from Norristown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,416
Avg net price $19,409/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

General Studies Wages Near Norristown

Norristown is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). 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 $121,630 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $118,548
Management Analysts $100,920 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $98,363
Human Resources Specialists $76,700 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $74,756
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,420 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $77,407
Writers and Authors $84,130 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $81,998
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $80,560 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $78,519
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $72,700 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $70,858
Social and Community Service Managers $80,810 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $78,762

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.

Norristown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,782 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,058 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Norristown-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Norristown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Norristown. The closest is Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA (5.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rosemont College (6.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Norristown are: General and Operations Managers ($121,630), Management Analysts ($100,920), Writers and Authors ($84,130). 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 Philadelphia instead of Norristown?

Philadelphia, PA is 13.5 miles from Norristown 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 Norristown an affordable place to study general studies?

Norristown’s median household income of $65,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norristown 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 Norristown

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

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.

Back to Best General Studies Schools in Pennsylvania (2026)