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

Frederick, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $13,544 to $84,696 per year for indexed programs. Frederick has a population of about 80,617. Median household income is $95,150 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $126,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Frederick

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Frederick. Distances are calculated from Frederick 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 Frederick. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

American University

Washington, DC 38.4 miles from Frederick BOC Score71.5
Published tuition$56,543 - $71,549
Online programsYes

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#2

Georgetown University

Washington, DC 40.7 miles from Frederick BOC Score79.6
Published tuition$65,081 - $84,696
Online programsYes

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#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 42.3 miles from Frederick BOC Score81.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD 43.0 miles from Frederick BOC Score88.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 43.8 miles from Frederick BOC Score51.7
Published tuition$13,544 - $29,480
Online programsYes

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Frederick

Frederick is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). 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$101,680Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$93,370
Management Analyst$126,830Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,465
Technical Writer$99,910Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$91,745
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$101,020Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$92,764
Editor$84,800Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$77,870
Training and Development Specialist$82,400Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$75,666
Human Resources Specialist$100,830Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$92,590

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.


Frederick at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population80,617Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$95,150Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Frederick County181 workers, 40 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Frederick-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Frederick. The closest is American University in Washington, DC (38.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (43.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Frederick are: Management Analyst ($126,830), Public Relations Specialist ($101,680), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($101,020). 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 Hagerstown instead of Frederick?

Hagerstown, MD is 21.7 miles from Frederick 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 Frederick an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Frederick’s median household income of $95,150 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Frederick 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.


Learn More About Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Frederick

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

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.