Best Geography Schools Near Chester, PA (2026)

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

Chester, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $16,574 to $35,842 per year for indexed programs. Chester has a population of about 33,209. Median household income is $39,809 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Computer Occupations, All Other at a median $121,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to Chester

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

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 11.9 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $111,371
Avg net price $28,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 13.3 miles from Chester
  • 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

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#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 14.1 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,258
Avg net price $23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA 14.7 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,727
Avg net price $28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA 51.0 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,775
Avg net price $21,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA 53.3 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,246
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 80.2 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,148
Avg net price $18,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 98.2 miles from Chester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Geography Wages Near Chester

Chester 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)
Geographers N/A PA statewide –
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $76,830 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $74,883
Surveyors $79,040 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $77,037
Urban and Regional Planners $83,750 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $81,628
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $94,850 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $92,446
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $104,790 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $102,135
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $77,710 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $75,741
Computer Occupations, All Other $121,990 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $118,899

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.

Chester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 33,209 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $39,809 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 13.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Chester-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Chester, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Chester. The closest is University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA (11.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rowan University (16.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Chester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Chester are: Computer Occupations, All Other ($121,990), Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($104,790), Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($94,850). 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 Wilmington instead of Chester?

Wilmington, DE is 11.3 miles from Chester and has its own set of local geography programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chester an affordable place to study geography?

Chester’s median household income of $39,809 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chester 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 Geography Programs

Other Programs Available in Chester

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

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 Geography Schools in Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)