Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Wilmington, DE (2026)

Wilmington, Delaware has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $12,330 to $19,326 per year for indexed programs. Wilmington has a population of about 71,124. Median household income is $55,269 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $100,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Wilmington

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

#1

Wilmington University

New Castle, DE 4.7 miles from Wilmington BOC Score 45.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,844
Avg net price $15,644/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Delaware

Newark, DE 12.5 miles from Wilmington BOC Score 83.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,950
Avg net price $17,799/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Delaware statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$64,550Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$62,914
Management Analyst$100,920Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$98,363
Technical Writer$92,330Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$89,990
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$63,690Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$62,076
Editor$74,530Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$72,641
Training and Development Specialist$76,710Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$74,766
Human Resources Specialist$76,700Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$74,756

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.


Wilmington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population71,124Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,269Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in New Castle County1,359 workers, 155 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Wilmington, DE?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Wilmington 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 Wilmington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Wilmington are: Management Analyst ($100,920), Technical Writer ($92,330), Training and Development Specialist ($76,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Delaware statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chester instead of Wilmington?

Chester, PA is 11.3 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Wilmington’s median household income of $55,269 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Delaware 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 Wilmington

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.