Milwaukee, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $5,184 to $66,768 per year for indexed programs. Milwaukee has a population of about 569,756. Median household income is $51,888 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $125,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest General Studies Schools to Milwaukee
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Milwaukee, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Milwaukee 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Milwaukee.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
81%
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,257
Avg net price
$31,487/yr
TuitionIn‑state$51,170
Out‑of‑state$51,170
Key stats
- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 120
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,113
Avg net price
$9,112/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,184
Out‑of‑state$7,427
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
62%
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,745
Avg net price
$20,144/yr
TuitionIn‑state$35,420
Out‑of‑state$35,420
Key stats
- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,990
Avg net price
$15,014/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 152
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,990
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,145
Avg net price
$22,540/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 50
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Wisconsin schools on the Wisconsin general studies page.
General Studies Wages Near Milwaukee
Milwaukee is part of the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area (BLS area code 33340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| General and Operations Managers |
$125,490 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$129,505 |
| Management Analysts |
$102,900 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$106,192 |
| Human Resources Specialists |
$74,970 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$77,368 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists |
$73,880 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$76,244 |
| Writers and Authors |
$63,910 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$65,955 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education |
$75,370 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$77,781 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers |
$73,970 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$76,336 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$82,290 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI |
$84,923 |
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.
Milwaukee at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
569,756 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$51,888 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
26.6% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
96.9 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Milwaukee-Area Cities With General Studies Programs
- Wauwatosa, WI – 3.4 mi away (47,945 pop)
- West Allis, WI – 5.1 mi away (60,087 pop)
- Greenfield, WI – 7.3 mi away (36,858 pop)
- Brookfield, WI – 7.9 mi away (38,016 pop)
- Menomonee Falls, WI – 9.8 mi away (36,769 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited general studies schools are near Milwaukee, WI?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Milwaukee. The closest is Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI (2.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex (4.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Milwaukee?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Milwaukee are: General and Operations Managers ($125,490), Management Analysts ($102,900), Social and Community Service Managers ($82,290). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Wauwatosa instead of Milwaukee?
Wauwatosa, WI is 3.4 miles from Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee an affordable place to study general studies?
Milwaukee’s median household income of $51,888 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Milwaukee while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Milwaukee
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Milwaukee:
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- Behavioral Health Science programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Milwaukee, WI
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- Journalism programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Public Relations programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Communication Disorders programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Speech Pathology programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Technical Communication programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Professional Writing programs in Milwaukee, WI
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- Business Development programs in Milwaukee, WI
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- Economics programs in Milwaukee, WI
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- International Business programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Organizational Leadership programs in Milwaukee, WI
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- Nonprofit Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Operations Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Public Administration programs in Milwaukee, WI
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- Recreation Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Retail Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Risk Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Statistics programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Taxation programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Corrections programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Crime Analysis programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Criminology programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Cybercrime programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Emergency Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Fire Science programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Forensic Science programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Legal Services programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Legal Studies programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Paralegal programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Security Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Cloud Computing programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Computer Engineering programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Innovation programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Mobile App Development programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Software Development programs in Milwaukee, WI
- User Experience programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Web Development programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Machine Learning programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Supply Chain Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Data Analytics programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Public Health programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Human Resources programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Project Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Special Education programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Homeland Security programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Marketing programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Finance programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Kinesiology programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Sports Management programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Early Childhood Education programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Elementary Education programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Biology programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Communications programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Graphic Design programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Human Services programs in Milwaukee, WI
- MBA programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Criminal Justice programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Nursing programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Business Administration programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Computer Science programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Psychology programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Education programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Engineering programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Technology programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Liberal Arts programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Healthcare programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Cybersecurity programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Accounting programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Social Work programs in Milwaukee, WI
- Counseling programs in Milwaukee, WI
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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