Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Melrose, MA

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

Melrose, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs. Melrose has a population of about 29,488. Median household income is $126,854 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 62.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $131,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Melrose

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

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA 6.0 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,173
Avg net price $31,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 6.7 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,506
Avg net price $29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Northeastern University Professional Programs

Boston, MA 8.1 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Salem State University

Salem, MA 9.2 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,662
Avg net price $15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA 10.0 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,937
Avg net price $41,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Eastern Nazarene College

Quincy, MA 13.0 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Regis College

Weston, MA 14.7 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,873
Avg net price $27,477/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 15.1 miles from Melrose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,584
Avg net price $37,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Melrose

Melrose is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $131,130 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $121,080
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $80,760 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $74,571
Instructional Coordinators $98,370 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $90,831
Training and Development Specialists $83,800 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $77,378
Education Administrators, All Other $86,540 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $79,908
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $79,980 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $73,850
Social and Community Service Managers $85,430 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $78,883
Human Resources Specialists $90,270 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $83,352

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.

Melrose at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,488 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $126,854 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 62.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Melrose-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Melrose, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Melrose. The closest is Lesley University in Cambridge, MA (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Boston College (10.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Melrose are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($131,130), Instructional Coordinators ($98,370), Human Resources Specialists ($90,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Malden instead of Melrose?

Malden, MA is 1.7 miles from Melrose 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 Melrose an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Melrose’s median household income of $126,854 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Melrose while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Melrose

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

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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