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

Trenton, New Jersey has a population of about 89,966. The city’s median household income is $47,102 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 199 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Trenton, with tuition ranging from $27,804 to $39,685 per year for indexed programs. In the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $99,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Trenton

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 199 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Trenton. Distances are calculated from Trenton city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Thomas Edison State UniversityTrenton, NJ0.3 miContact school for pricing
The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ3.2 miContact school for pricing
Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ4.0 miContact school for pricing
Mercer County Community CollegeWest Windsor, NJ6.3 miContact school for pricing
Cairn University-LanghorneLanghorne, PA8.7 miContact school for pricing
Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ10.2 miContact school for pricing
Bucks County Community CollegeNewtown, PA10.7 miContact school for pricing
Holy Family UniversityPhiladelphia, PA16.3 miContact school for pricing
Bryn Athyn College of the New ChurchBryn Athyn, PA16.8 mi$27,804 - $39,685
Rowan College at Burlington CountyMount Laurel, NJ18.7 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 Trenton

Trenton is part of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area (BLS area code 45940). 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$78,420Trenton-Princeton, NJ$75,988
Management Analyst$99,380Trenton-Princeton, NJ$96,298
Technical Writer$94,670Trenton-Princeton, NJ$91,734
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$60,470NJ statewide$58,595
Editor$77,610Trenton-Princeton, NJ$75,203
Training and Development Specialist$79,390Trenton-Princeton, NJ$76,928
Human Resources Specialist$77,050Trenton-Princeton, NJ$74,661

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.


Trenton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population89,966Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,102Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Mercer County612 workers, 56 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Trenton-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 199 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Trenton. The closest is Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, NJ (0.3 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Rowan College at Burlington County (18.7 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Trenton are: Management Analyst ($99,380), Technical Writer ($94,670), Training and Development Specialist ($79,390). 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 Princeton instead of Trenton?

Princeton, NJ is 10.4 miles from Trenton 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 Trenton an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Trenton’s median household income of $47,102 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Trenton 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.