Highland, Indiana has a population of about 5,188. The city’s median household income is $95,696 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 85 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Highland, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $31,758 per year for indexed programs. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $120,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).
The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 85 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Highland. Distances are calculated from Highland city center.
| School | City | Distance | Tuition | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN | 2.6 mi | $8,419 - $16,287 | – |
| Indiana University-Northwest | Gary, IN | 6.3 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph | Whiting, IN | 8.7 mi | $22,650 - $31,758 | – |
| South Suburban College | South Holland, IL | 9.2 mi | $5,093 - $12,683 | – |
| Prairie State College | Chicago Heights, IL | 9.5 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College | Chicago, IL | 13.0 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Chicago State University | Chicago, IL | 14.1 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Governors State University | University Park, IL | 15.0 mi | $11,320 - $23,076 | – |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago, IL | 17.2 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 18.1 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana liberal arts page.
Highland 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $63,910 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $61,689 |
| Management Analyst | $120,140 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $115,965 |
| Technical Writer | $80,240 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,452 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist | $60,850 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $58,736 |
| Editor | $71,600 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $69,112 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $65,030 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,770 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,610 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $72,983 |
Source: BLS, May 2024 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.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,188 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $95,696 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 31.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Our directory has 85 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Highland. The closest is Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, IN (2.6 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is University of Chicago (18.1 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Highland are: Management Analyst ($120,140), Technical Writer ($80,240), Human Resources Specialist ($75,610). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Munster, IN is 2.3 miles from Highland 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.
Highland’s median household income of $95,696 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Highland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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.
Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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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