Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Topeka, KS (2026)

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

Topeka, Kansas has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Topeka has a population of about 126,103. Median household income is $55,902 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Topeka, KS metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Human Resources Specialist at a median $76,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Topeka

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Topeka. Distances are calculated from Topeka 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 Topeka. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Topeka

Topeka is part of the Topeka, KS metro area (BLS area code 45820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist	$62,410	Topeka, KS	$70,282
Management Analyst	$66,710	Topeka, KS	$75,124
Technical Writer	$73,550	KS statewide	$82,827
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist	$45,870	KS statewide	$51,655
Editor	$63,560	Topeka, KS	$71,577
Training and Development Specialist	$64,470	Topeka, KS	$72,601
Human Resources Specialist	$76,690	Topeka, KS	$86,363

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.

Topeka at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	126,103	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$55,902	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	29.1%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	88.8 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Topeka-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Lawrence, KS – 23.7 mi away (95,800 pop)
Gardner, KS – 43.8 mi away (21,110 pop)
Leavenworth, KS – 45.8 mi away (46,445 pop)
Shawnee, KS – 47.7 mi away (65,194 pop)
Olathe, KS – 48.2 mi away (135,473 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Topeka, KS?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Topeka. The closest is Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS (52.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City (59.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Topeka are: Human Resources Specialist ($76,690), Technical Writer ($73,550), Management Analyst ($66,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lawrence instead of Topeka?

Lawrence, KS is 23.7 miles from Topeka 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 Topeka an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Topeka’s median household income of $55,902 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Topeka while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Topeka

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

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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