Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Baltimore, MD (2026)

Baltimore, Maryland has a population of about 577,193. The city’s median household income is $59,623 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 137 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Baltimore. In the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $121,870 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Baltimore

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 137 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Baltimore. Distances are calculated from Baltimore city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD0.1 miContact school for pricing
Maryland Institute College of ArtBaltimore, MD0.4 miContact school for pricing
University of Maryland, BaltimoreBaltimore, MD1.4 miContact school for pricing
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD1.7 miContact school for pricing
Coppin State UniversityBaltimore, MD2.4 miContact school for pricing
Baltimore City Community CollegeBaltimore, MD2.8 miContact school for pricing
Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, MD2.9 miContact school for pricing
Morgan State UniversityBaltimore, MD3.1 miContact school for pricing
Notre Dame of Maryland UniversityBaltimore, MD3.2 miContact school for pricing
Towson UniversityTowson, MD6.1 miContact school for pricing

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Baltimore

Baltimore is part of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area (BLS area code 12580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$66,910Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$64,029
Management Analyst$121,870Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$116,622
Technical Writer$93,650Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$89,617
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$61,050Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$58,421
Editor$77,790Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$74,440
Training and Development Specialist$75,250Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$72,010
Human Resources Specialist$80,030Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$76,584

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Baltimore at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population577,193Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,623Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.5 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Baltimore (city) County3,707 workers, 157 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Baltimore-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Baltimore, MD?

Our directory has 137 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Baltimore. The closest is University of Baltimore in Baltimore, MD (0.1 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Towson University (6.1 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Baltimore are: Management Analyst ($121,870), Technical Writer ($93,650), Human Resources Specialist ($80,030). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Laurel instead of Baltimore?

Laurel, MD is 19.7 miles from Baltimore 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 Baltimore an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Baltimore’s median household income of $59,623 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Baltimore while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.