Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Pekin, IL

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

Pekin, Illinois is home to about 31,812 residents. Median household income is $58,355 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Peoria, IL metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $110,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Pekin

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

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 104.4 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Central College

Naperville, IL 113.7 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 115.4 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL 124.1 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,346
Avg net price $14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 131.8 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 136.6 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL 137.8 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,712
Avg net price $20,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

National Louis University

Chicago, IL 138.0 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,799
Avg net price $12,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Pekin

Pekin is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $110,540 Peoria, IL $121,206
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $59,510 Peoria, IL $65,252
Instructional Coordinators $56,240 Peoria, IL $61,667
Training and Development Specialists $76,880 Peoria, IL $84,298
Education Administrators, All Other $77,180 IL statewide $84,627
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $61,560 IL statewide $67,500
Social and Community Service Managers $74,060 Peoria, IL $81,206
Human Resources Specialists $74,020 Peoria, IL $81,162

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.

Pekin at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,812 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,355 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 18.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Pekin-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near Pekin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Pekin are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($110,540), Education Administrators, All Other ($77,180), Training and Development Specialists ($76,880). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in East Peoria instead of Pekin?

East Peoria, IL is 8.6 miles from Pekin and has its own set of local higher education administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Pekin an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Pekin’s median household income of $58,355 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pekin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Pekin

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

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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