Decatur, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $12,132 to $27,392 per year for indexed programs. Decatur has a population of about 57,974. In the Decatur, AL metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $101,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Decatur
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Decatur, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Decatur 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 Decatur.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$50,273
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
69%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,767
Avg net price
$18,796/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,132
Out‑of‑state$26,408
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 62
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,488
Avg net price
$25,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
58%
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,628
Avg net price
$17,621/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,024
Out‑of‑state$18,634
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,415
Avg net price
$12,170/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 66
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,501
Avg net price
$18,749/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 130
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,627
Avg net price
$14,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 56%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,909
Avg net price
$19,651/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 57%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama liberal arts page.
Liberal Arts Wages Near Decatur
Decatur is part of the Decatur, AL metro area (BLS area code 19460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $63,780 | Decatur, AL | $73,142 |
| Management Analyst | $101,500 | Decatur, AL | $116,399 |
| Technical Writer | $85,840 | AL statewide | $98,440 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist | $43,440 | AL statewide | $49,817 |
| Editor | $63,330 | AL statewide | $72,626 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $93,230 | Decatur, AL | $106,915 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $63,030 | Decatur, AL | $72,282 |
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.
Decatur at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 87.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Decatur-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs
- Athens, AL – 14.7 mi away (32,587 pop)
- Madison, AL – 16.1 mi away (47,959 pop)
- Huntsville, AL – 21.4 mi away (230,402 pop)
- Cullman, AL – 28.7 mi away (20,239 pop)
- Florence, AL – 42.2 mi away (42,716 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Decatur, AL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Decatur. The closest is John C Calhoun State Community College in Tanner, AL (5.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College (27.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Decatur?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Decatur are: Management Analyst ($101,500), Training and Development Specialist ($93,230), Technical Writer ($85,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Athens instead of Decatur?
Athens, AL is 14.7 miles from Decatur and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
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 Liberal Arts Programs
Other Programs Available in Decatur
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Decatur:
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- Data Analytics programs in Decatur, AL
- Public Health programs in Decatur, AL
- Human Resources programs in Decatur, AL
- Project Management programs in Decatur, AL
- Special Education programs in Decatur, AL
- Homeland Security programs in Decatur, AL
- Marketing programs in Decatur, AL
- Finance programs in Decatur, AL
- Kinesiology programs in Decatur, AL
- Sports Management programs in Decatur, AL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Decatur, AL
- Elementary Education programs in Decatur, AL
- Biology programs in Decatur, AL
- Communications programs in Decatur, AL
- Graphic Design programs in Decatur, AL
- Human Services programs in Decatur, AL
- MBA programs in Decatur, AL
- Criminal Justice programs in Decatur, AL
- Nursing programs in Decatur, AL
- Business Administration programs in Decatur, AL
- Computer Science programs in Decatur, AL
- Psychology programs in Decatur, AL
- Education programs in Decatur, AL
- Engineering programs in Decatur, AL
- Technology programs in Decatur, AL
- Healthcare programs in Decatur, AL
- Cybersecurity programs in Decatur, AL
- Accounting programs in Decatur, AL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Decatur, AL
- Social Work programs in Decatur, AL
- Counseling programs in Decatur, AL
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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