Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Independence, KY (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Independence, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $38,150 to $53,879 per year for indexed programs. Independence has a population of about 29,024. Median household income is $98,653 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $97,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Independence

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY 5.1 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,384
Avg net price $21,835/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY 7.1 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,220
Avg net price $8,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Georgetown College

Georgetown, KY 51.4 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,074
Avg net price $14,095/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,840
Out‑of‑state$42,840
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY 54.4 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
40.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,382
Avg net price $8,040/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,387
Out‑of‑state$13,658
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Midway University

Midway, KY 56.1 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,246
Avg net price $29,579/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Transylvania University

Lexington, KY 62.1 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,705
Avg net price $21,913/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 63.1 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Asbury University

Wilmore, KY 75.5 miles from Independence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $21,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Independence

Independence is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 17140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $64,040 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $67,128
Management Analyst $97,360 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $102,055
Technical Writer $79,140 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $82,956
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $53,780 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $56,373
Editor $62,610 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $65,629
Training and Development Specialist $68,390 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $71,688
Human Resources Specialist $73,010 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $76,530

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.

Independence at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,024 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $98,653 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Kenton County 37 workers, 20 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Independence-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Independence, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Independence. The closest is Gateway Community and Technical College in Florence, KY (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mount St. Joseph University (11.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Independence are: Management Analyst ($97,360), Technical Writer ($79,140), Human Resources Specialist ($73,010). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Florence instead of Independence?

Florence, KY is 5.9 miles from Independence 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 Independence an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Independence’s median household income of $98,653 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Independence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Independence

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Liberal Arts Schools in Kentucky: Online Programs (2026)