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

Rockville, Maryland has a population of about 67,218. The city’s median household income is $122,384 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 90 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Rockville, with tuition ranging from $6,152 to $84,696 per year for indexed programs. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $125,820 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Rockville

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 90 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Rockville. Distances are calculated from Rockville city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Montgomery CollegeRockville, MD1.1 miContact school for pricing
Washington Adventist UniversityTakoma Park, MD10.7 miContact school for pricing
University of the District of ColumbiaWashington, DC10.8 mi$6,152 - $20,911
American UniversityWashington, DC10.8 mi$56,543 - $71,549
Columbia CollegeVienna, VA11.8 miContact school for pricing
Marymount UniversityArlington, VA12.4 miContact school for pricing
University of the Potomac-VA CampusFALLS CHURCH, VA12.6 miContact school for pricing
Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC12.8 mi$65,081 - $84,696
University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD13.1 miContact school for pricing
Howard UniversityWashington, DC13.3 mi$33,344 - $51,450

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Rockville

Rockville 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$95,370Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$87,576
Management Analyst$125,820Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$115,537
Technical Writer$97,810Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$89,816
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$99,730Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$91,579
Editor$80,990Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$74,371
Training and Development Specialist$82,330Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$75,601
Human Resources Specialist$97,340Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$89,385

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.


Rockville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population67,218Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$122,384Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+64.6%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 Montgomery County1,998 workers, 253 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Rockville-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 90 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Rockville. The closest is Montgomery College in Rockville, MD (1.1 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Howard University (13.3 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Rockville are: Management Analyst ($125,820), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($99,730), Technical Writer ($97,810). 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 Gaithersburg instead of Rockville?

Gaithersburg, MD is 4.7 miles from Rockville 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 Rockville an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Rockville’s median household income of $122,384 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockville 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.