Best General Studies Schools Near Salem, VA (2026)

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

Salem, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Salem has a population of about 25,477. Median household income is $66,716 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Roanoke, VA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $98,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Salem

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

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 20.6 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 153

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ferrum College

Ferrum, VA 24.9 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,296
Avg net price $20,082/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Radford University

Radford, VA 29.1 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,739
Avg net price $14,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 48.2 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, VA 48.6 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,380
Avg net price $22,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Randolph College

Lynchburg, VA 49.6 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,409
Avg net price $15,921/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Southern Virginia University

Buena Vista, VA 49.8 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
34.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,002
Avg net price $22,213/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Virginia University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, VA 50.2 miles from Salem
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $28,396
Avg net price $21,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Salem

Salem is part of the Roanoke, VA metro area (BLS area code 40220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $98,140 Roanoke, VA $104,850
Management Analysts $84,220 Roanoke, VA $89,979
Human Resources Specialists $67,450 Roanoke, VA $72,062
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $64,340 Roanoke, VA $68,739
Writers and Authors $85,000 VA statewide $90,812
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,760 Roanoke, VA $65,983
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $61,800 Roanoke, VA $66,026
Social and Community Service Managers $81,440 Roanoke, VA $87,009

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.

Salem at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,477 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,716 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Salem-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Salem, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Salem. The closest is Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, VA (5.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is New River Community College (37.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Salem are: General and Operations Managers ($98,140), Writers and Authors ($85,000), Management Analysts ($84,220). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Roanoke instead of Salem?

Roanoke, VA is 5.4 miles from Salem 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 Salem an affordable place to study general studies?

Salem’s median household income of $66,716 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salem while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Salem

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

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 Virginia (2026)