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

Newton, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $58,150 to $77,082 per year for indexed programs. Newton has a population of about 88,504. Median household income is $184,989 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 80.7% 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 Newton

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

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA 2.3 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,937
Avg net price $41,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA 3.6 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.2 BOC Score
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: 7

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Bentley University

Waltham, MA 3.6 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.3 BOC Score
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: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 5.5 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
90.2 BOC Score
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: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA 6.2 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
79.6 BOC Score
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: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Suffolk University

Boston, MA 7.7 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,506
Avg net price $29,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Tufts University

Medford, MA 7.9 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
77.9 BOC Score
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: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Boston, MA 8.4 miles from Newton
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
97.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,130
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Newton

Newton 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.


Newton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population88,504Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$184,989Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+80.7%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 Middlesex County1,894 workers, 327 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Newton-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Newton 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 Newton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Newton 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 Watertown instead of Newton?

Watertown, MA is 3.1 miles from Newton 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 Newton an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Newton’s median household income of $184,989 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Newton 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 Newton

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

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.