Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Burlington, IA (2026)

Burlington, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $10,964 to $32,927 per year for indexed programs. Burlington has a population of about 23,800. Median household income is $55,274 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $85,530 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Burlington

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

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 60.9 miles from Burlington BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Loras College

Dubuque, IA 119.5 miles from Burlington BOC Score 67.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,289
Avg net price $20,716/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 136.7 miles from Burlington BOC Score 68.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 140.6 miles from Burlington BOC Score 51.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,824
Avg net price $21,774/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 142.4 miles from Burlington BOC Score 72.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,901
Avg net price $29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 155.4 miles from Burlington BOC Score 76.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA 295.2 miles from Burlington BOC Score 53.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 80%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,802
Avg net price $25,907/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,710
Out‑of‑state$36,710
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, IA 298.1 miles from Burlington BOC Score 43.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,475
Avg net price $23,907/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Burlington

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Iowa, statewide)
Public Relations Specialist$62,970
Management Analyst$85,530
Technical Writer$66,520
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$43,540
Editor$57,200
Training and Development Specialist$66,110
Human Resources Specialist$66,710

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.


Burlington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,800Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,274Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Burlington-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Burlington, IA?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Burlington 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 in Iowa?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles in Iowa are: Management Analyst ($85,530), Human Resources Specialist ($66,710), Technical Writer ($66,520). Wages for Burlington workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Galesburg instead of Burlington?

Galesburg, IL is 40.3 miles from Burlington 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 Burlington an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Burlington’s median household income of $55,274 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Burlington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Burlington

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

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.