Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Denver, CO (2026)

Denver, Colorado has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $4,030 to $33,751 per year for indexed programs. Denver has a population of about 713,734. Median household income is $91,681 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $103,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Denver

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Denver, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Denver 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 Denver. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 7.1 miles from Denver BOC Score 43.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Denver

Denver, CO 7.5 miles from Denver BOC Score 70.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado liberal arts page.


Liberal Arts Wages Near Denver

Denver is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$82,930Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$78,384
Management Analyst$102,620Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$96,994
Technical Writer$103,360Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$97,694
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$74,290Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$70,217
Editor$78,670Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$74,357
Training and Development Specialist$79,000Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$74,669
Human Resources Specialist$82,550Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$78,025

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.


Denver at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population713,734Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$91,681Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Denver County7,245 workers, 418 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Denver-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Denver, CO?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Denver 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 Denver?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Denver are: Technical Writer ($103,360), Management Analyst ($102,620), Public Relations Specialist ($82,930). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Commerce City instead of Denver?

Commerce City, CO is 7.2 miles from Denver 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 Denver an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Denver’s median household income of $91,681 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Denver while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Denver

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

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.