Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Hackensack, NJ (2026)

Hackensack, New Jersey has a population of about 45,768. The city’s median household income is $82,212 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 201 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Hackensack, with tuition ranging from $4,757 to $15,317 per year for indexed programs. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $110,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Hackensack

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 201 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Hackensack. Distances are calculated from Hackensack city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusTeaneck, NJ1.1 miContact school for pricing
Felician UniversityLodi, NJ3.0 miContact school for pricing
Bergen Community CollegeParamus, NJ4.9 mi$4,757 - $15,317
Boricua CollegeNew York, NY6.5 miContact school for pricing
Yeshiva UniversityNew York, NY6.6 miContact school for pricing
Passaic County Community CollegePaterson, NJ6.7 miContact school for pricing
Barnard CollegeNew York, NY7.0 miContact school for pricing
CUNY City CollegeNew York, NY7.0 miContact school for pricing
Teachers College at Columbia UniversityNew York, NY7.1 miContact school for pricing
Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY7.1 miContact school for pricing

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Hackensack

Hackensack is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$79,990New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$71,039
Management Analyst$110,950New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$98,535
Technical Writer$83,580New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$74,227
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$104,270New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$92,602
Editor$99,220New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$88,117
Training and Development Specialist$78,720New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$69,911
Human Resources Specialist$83,060New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$73,766

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.


Hackensack at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population45,768Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$82,212Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)112.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Bergen County3,103 workers, 146 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Hackensack-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Hackensack, NJ?

Our directory has 201 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Hackensack. The closest is Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck, NJ (1.1 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Columbia University in the City of New York (7.1 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Hackensack are: Management Analyst ($110,950), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($104,270), Editor ($99,220). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lodi instead of Hackensack?

Lodi, NJ is 2.0 miles from Hackensack 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 Hackensack an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Hackensack’s median household income of $82,212 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hackensack while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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.