Columbus, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $10,762 to $54,178 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 51,970. In the Columbus, IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $111,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Columbus
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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 Columbus.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
70%
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,376
Avg net price
$22,855/yr
TuitionIn‑state$38,710
Out‑of‑state$38,710
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,742
Avg net price
$16,264/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 192
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
66%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,610
Avg net price
$21,602/yr
TuitionIn‑state$37,200
Out‑of‑state$37,200
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 76
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,198
Avg net price
$11,668/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 204
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
84%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,957
Avg net price
$21,829/yr
TuitionIn‑state$44,638
Out‑of‑state$44,638
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,759
Avg net price
$24,018/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana liberal arts page.
Liberal Arts Wages Near Columbus
Columbus is part of the Columbus, IN metro area (BLS area code 18020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $62,770 | Columbus, IN | $67,495 |
| Management Analyst | $111,090 | Columbus, IN | $119,452 |
| Technical Writer | $75,510 | IN statewide | $81,194 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist | $47,610 | IN statewide | $51,194 |
| Editor | $56,440 | IN statewide | $60,688 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $59,520 | Columbus, IN | $64,000 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $62,330 | Columbus, IN | $67,022 |
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.
Columbus at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.0 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Columbus-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs
- Seymour, IN – 18.0 mi away (22,918 pop)
- Franklin, IN – 21.0 mi away (24,867 pop)
- Shelbyville, IN – 23.8 mi away (20,639 pop)
- Greenwood, IN – 29.0 mi away (56,545 pop)
- Bloomington, IN – 32.5 mi away (114,140 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Columbus, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Columbus. The closest is Franklin College in Franklin, IN (19.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Indiana University-Indianapolis (41.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Columbus?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Columbus are: Management Analyst ($111,090), Technical Writer ($75,510), Public Relations Specialist ($62,770). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Seymour instead of Columbus?
Seymour, IN is 18.0 miles from Columbus 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 Columbus
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Columbus:
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- Cloud Computing programs in Columbus, IN
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- Supply Chain Management programs in Columbus, IN
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- Public Health programs in Columbus, IN
- Human Resources programs in Columbus, IN
- Project Management programs in Columbus, IN
- Special Education programs in Columbus, IN
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- Marketing programs in Columbus, IN
- Finance programs in Columbus, IN
- Kinesiology programs in Columbus, IN
- Sports Management programs in Columbus, IN
- Early Childhood Education programs in Columbus, IN
- Elementary Education programs in Columbus, IN
- Biology programs in Columbus, IN
- Communications programs in Columbus, IN
- Graphic Design programs in Columbus, IN
- Human Services programs in Columbus, IN
- MBA programs in Columbus, IN
- Criminal Justice programs in Columbus, IN
- Nursing programs in Columbus, IN
- Business Administration programs in Columbus, IN
- Computer Science programs in Columbus, IN
- Psychology programs in Columbus, IN
- Education programs in Columbus, IN
- Engineering programs in Columbus, IN
- Technology programs in Columbus, IN
- Healthcare programs in Columbus, IN
- Cybersecurity programs in Columbus, IN
- Accounting programs in Columbus, IN
- Healthcare Administration programs in Columbus, IN
- Social Work programs in Columbus, IN
- Counseling programs in Columbus, IN
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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