Pelham, Alabama has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $8,832 to $27,826 per year for indexed programs. Pelham has a population of about 24,510. Median household income is $91,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Birmingham, AL metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $108,220 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Pelham
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Pelham, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Pelham 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 Pelham.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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: 55
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,221
Avg net price
$22,420/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,180
Out‑of‑state$34,172
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
46%
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,337
Avg net price
$24,323/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 52
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama liberal arts page.
Liberal Arts Wages Near Pelham
Pelham is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). 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 | $64,880 | Birmingham, AL | $70,830 |
| Management Analyst | $108,220 | Birmingham, AL | $118,144 |
| Technical Writer | $82,870 | Birmingham, AL | $90,469 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist | $47,260 | Birmingham, AL | $51,594 |
| Editor | $72,650 | Birmingham, AL | $79,312 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $71,040 | Birmingham, AL | $77,555 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $67,880 | Birmingham, AL | $74,105 |
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.
Pelham at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 24,510 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $91,904 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Pelham-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs
- Hoover, AL – 5.3 mi away (84,978 pop)
- Alabaster, AL – 7.4 mi away (32,948 pop)
- Vestavia Hills, AL – 9.7 mi away (34,688 pop)
- Homewood, AL – 10.8 mi away (25,613 pop)
- Mountain Brook, AL – 12.2 mi away (20,590 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Pelham, AL?
Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Pelham are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Pelham?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Pelham are: Management Analyst ($108,220), Technical Writer ($82,870), Editor ($72,650). 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 Hoover instead of Pelham?
Hoover, AL is 5.3 miles from Pelham 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.
Is Pelham an affordable place to study liberal arts?
Pelham’s median household income of $91,904 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pelham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama 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 Liberal Arts Programs
Other Programs Available in Pelham
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Pelham:
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Data verified: July 23, 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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