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

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Johnston, Iowa has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $10,497 to $27,683 per year for indexed programs. Johnston has a population of about 24,196. Median household income is $103,430 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $90,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Johnston

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Johnston. Distances are calculated from Johnston city center.

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 Johnston. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 6.7 miles from Johnston BOC Score72.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 7.3 miles from Johnston BOC Score51.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 23.9 miles from Johnston BOC Score76.9
Published tuition$10,497 - $27,683
Online programsYes

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Johnston

Johnston is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$70,660Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$77,056
Management Analyst$90,730Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$98,942
Technical Writer$69,450Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$75,736
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$54,230Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$59,138
Editor$63,720Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$69,487
Training and Development Specialist$74,610Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$81,363
Human Resources Specialist$71,600Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$78,081

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.

Johnston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,196Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$103,430Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+57.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Polk County1,841 workers, 108 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Johnston-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Johnston. The closest is Drake University in Des Moines, IA (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa State University (23.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Johnston are: Management Analyst ($90,730), Training and Development Specialist ($74,610), Human Resources Specialist ($71,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Urbandale instead of Johnston?

Urbandale, IA is 4.6 miles from Johnston 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 Johnston an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Johnston’s median household income of $103,430 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Johnston 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 Johnston

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

Data verified: June 11, 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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