Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Paducah, KY (2026)

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

Paducah, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Paducah has a population of about 26,894. Median household income is $51,243 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Paducah, KY-IL metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $96,080 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Paducah

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Paducah, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Paducah 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 Paducah. 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

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Paducah, KY 1.4 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,891
Avg net price $5,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Paducah

Paducah is part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area (BLS area code 37140). 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 $50,500 Paducah, KY-IL $58,653
Management Analyst $96,080 Paducah, KY-IL $111,591
Technical Writer $81,070 KY statewide $94,158
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $47,530 KY statewide $55,203
Editor $59,430 KY statewide $69,024
Training and Development Specialist $65,260 Paducah, KY-IL $75,796
Human Resources Specialist $64,500 Paducah, KY-IL $74,913

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.

Paducah at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,894 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,243 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Paducah-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Paducah. The closest is West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, KY (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southeast Missouri State University (51.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Paducah are: Management Analyst ($96,080), Technical Writer ($81,070), Training and Development Specialist ($65,260). 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 Murray instead of Paducah?

Murray, KY is 36.2 miles from Paducah 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 Paducah an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Paducah’s median household income of $51,243 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paducah 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 Paducah

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

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)