Gardner, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering legal studies programs. Gardner has a population of about 21,075. Median household income is $62,948 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning legal studies-related role is Lawyer at a median $129,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Legal Studies Schools to Gardner
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer legal studies programs near Gardner, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gardner 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 Gardner.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,631
Avg net price
$22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 166
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,705
Avg net price
$27,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$73,157
Avg net price
$27,290/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 59
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$101,817
Avg net price
$19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 174
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,383
Avg net price
$14,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,538
Avg net price
$30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 118
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,506
Avg net price
$29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 75
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts legal studies page.
Legal Studies Wages Near Gardner
Gardner is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). 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) |
|---|
| Paralegal and Legal Assistant | $70,990 | Worcester, MA | $69,259 |
| Lawyer | $129,400 | Worcester, MA | $126,244 |
| Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $61,730 | Worcester, MA | $60,224 |
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.
Gardner at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,075 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $62,948 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 22.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 102.5 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Gardner-Area Cities With Legal Studies Programs
- Fitchburg, MA – 8.7 mi away (40,414 pop)
- Leominster, MA – 11.8 mi away (119,538 pop)
- Worcester, MA – 23.5 mi away (495,856 pop)
- Nashua, NH – 27.6 mi away (230,061 pop)
- Marlborough, MA – 27.7 mi away (39,697 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited legal studies schools are near Gardner, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering legal studies programs near Gardner. The closest is Keene State College in Keene, NH (27.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western New England University (42.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying legal studies roles near Gardner?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying legal studies-related roles near Gardner are: Lawyer ($129,400), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($70,990), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($61,730). 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 Fitchburg instead of Gardner?
Fitchburg, MA is 8.7 miles from Gardner and has its own set of local legal studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Gardner an affordable place to study legal studies?
Gardner’s median household income of $62,948 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gardner 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 Legal Studies Programs
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Data verified: August 31, 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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