Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Hammond, IN (2026)

Hammond, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $34,290 to $46,548 per year for indexed programs. Hammond has a population of about 77,098. Median household income is $53,950 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $105,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Hammond

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

#1

Purdue University Global

West Lafayette, IN 85.4 miles from Hammond BOC Score 45.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,596
Avg net price $7,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN 87.5 miles from Hammond BOC Score 86.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,424
Avg net price $14,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Grace College and Theological Seminary

Winona Lake, IN 90.8 miles from Hammond BOC Score 56.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,411
Avg net price $19,932/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,200
Out‑of‑state$31,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses

Angola, IN 128.1 miles from Hammond BOC Score 68.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,165
Avg net price $15,788/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Butler University

Indianapolis, IN 141.0 miles from Hammond BOC Score 73.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,235
Avg net price $36,041/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Marian University

Indianapolis, IN 141.8 miles from Hammond BOC Score 55.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,759
Avg net price $24,018/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN 144.8 miles from Hammond BOC Score 60.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,198
Avg net price $11,668/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

American College of Education

Indianapolis, IN 145.4 miles from Hammond
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Hammond

Hammond is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$77,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$74,373
Management Analyst$105,090Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$101,438
Technical Writer$89,960Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$86,834
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$70,350Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$67,905
Editor$80,380Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,587
Training and Development Specialist$67,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$64,720
Human Resources Specialist$78,210Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$75,492

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.


Hammond at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population77,098Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,950Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hammond-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Hammond, IN?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Hammond 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 Hammond?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Hammond are: Management Analyst ($105,090), Technical Writer ($89,960), Editor ($80,380). 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 East Chicago instead of Hammond?

East Chicago, IN is 2.9 miles from Hammond 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 Hammond an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Hammond’s median household income of $53,950 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hammond while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Hammond

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

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.