Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Dalton, GA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Dalton, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $4,772 to $17,756 per year for indexed programs. Dalton has a population of about 34,402. Median household income is $61,236 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Dalton, GA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $98,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Dalton

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Dalton State College

Dalton, GA 1.8 miles from Dalton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,251
Avg net price $5,012/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Dalton

Dalton is part of the Dalton, GA metro area (BLS area code 19140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $75,500 Dalton, GA $84,076
Management Analyst $98,090 Dalton, GA $109,232
Technical Writer $73,070 GA statewide $81,370
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $81,910 GA statewide $91,214
Editor $76,650 GA statewide $85,356
Training and Development Specialist $58,230 Dalton, GA $64,844
Human Resources Specialist $55,480 Dalton, GA $61,782

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.

Dalton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 34,402 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,236 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Whitfield County 5 workers, 7 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Dalton-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Dalton, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Dalton. The closest is Dalton State College in Dalton, GA (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chattanooga State Community College (27.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Dalton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Dalton are: Management Analyst ($98,090), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($81,910), Editor ($76,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Calhoun instead of Dalton?

Calhoun, GA is 19.2 miles from Dalton 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 Dalton an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Dalton’s median household income of $61,236 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dalton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Dalton

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Liberal Arts Schools in Georgia: Online Programs (2026)