Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Lawrence, MA (2026)

Lawrence, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $58,150 to $84,600 per year for indexed programs. Lawrence has a population of about 88,297. Median household income is $57,903 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $135,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Lawrence

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

#1

Salem State University

Salem, MA 19.4 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 62.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,662
Avg net price $15,996/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tufts University

Medford, MA 19.7 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 77.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,214
Avg net price $39,998/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Bentley University

Waltham, MA 22.1 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 78.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $120,959
Avg net price $37,930/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 22.6 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 90.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Boston, MA 23.1 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 97.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,130
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Hult International Business School

Cambridge, MA 23.3 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 52.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Avg net price $45,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA 23.7 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 75.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,231
Avg net price $35,736/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,080
Out‑of‑state$68,080
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 23.8 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 79.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,372
Avg net price $20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Lawrence

Lawrence is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$81,440Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$75,199
Management Analyst$135,640Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$125,245
Technical Writer$111,750Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$103,186
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$62,750Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$57,941
Editor$86,410Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$79,788
Training and Development Specialist$83,800Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$77,378
Human Resources Specialist$90,270Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$83,352

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.


Lawrence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population88,297Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,903Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Essex County1,263 workers, 149 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lawrence-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Lawrence, MA?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Lawrence are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Lawrence are: Management Analyst ($135,640), Technical Writer ($111,750), Human Resources Specialist ($90,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Methuen instead of Lawrence?

Methuen, MA is 2.7 miles from Lawrence 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 Lawrence an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Lawrence’s median household income of $57,903 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lawrence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Lawrence

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.