Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Mankato, MN (2026)

Mankato, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Mankato has a population of about 44,882. Median household income is $64,826 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $83,270 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Mankato

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Mankato. Distances are calculated from Mankato city center.

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Mankato

Mankato is part of the Mankato, MN metro area (BLS area code 31860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

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.

Mankato at a Glance

Other Mankato-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

• Faribault, MN – 35.7 mi away (24,012 pop)
• Owatonna, MN – 37.5 mi away (25,567 pop)
• Northfield, MN – 44.5 mi away (22,005 pop)
• Prior Lake, MN – 46.5 mi away (25,863 pop)
• Chaska, MN – 48.1 mi away (26,016 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Mankato, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Mankato. The closest is Minnesota State University-Mankato in Mankato, MN (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Concordia University-Saint Paul (67.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Mankato are: Technical Writer ($83,270), Management Analyst ($77,020), Training and Development Specialist ($74,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Faribault instead of Mankato?

Faribault, MN is 35.7 miles from Mankato 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 Mankato an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Mankato’s median household income of $64,826 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mankato while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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

• Liberal Arts accreditation: what to look for
• Liberal Arts concentrations and specializations
• Is a Liberal Arts degree worth it?
• Main Liberal Arts degree guide
• Online Liberal Arts programs in Minnesota
• Liberal Arts programs by state

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

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Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
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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.