Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Fairfield, OH (2026)

Fairfield, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $10,758 to $28,766 per year for indexed programs. Fairfield has a population of about 44,597. Median household income is $70,166 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $97,360 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Fairfield

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

#1

Xavier University

Cincinnati, OH 12.9 miles from Fairfield BOC Score 65.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,873
Avg net price $32,997/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH 13.9 miles from Fairfield BOC Score 64.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,810
Avg net price $25,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 111

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, OH 14.8 miles from Fairfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35
#4

Sinclair Community College

Dayton, OH 34.2 miles from Fairfield BOC Score 55.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,558
Avg net price $5,992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Wright State University-Main Campus

Dayton, OH 40.6 miles from Fairfield BOC Score 45.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,500
Avg net price $15,415/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management

Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 42.9 miles from Fairfield
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Franklin University

Columbus, OH 93.1 miles from Fairfield BOC Score 35.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,892
Avg net price $25,243/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 40%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 93.7 miles from Fairfield BOC Score 80.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Fairfield

Fairfield is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 17140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$64,040Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$67,128
Management Analyst$97,360Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$102,055
Technical Writer$79,140Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$82,956
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$53,780Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$56,373
Editor$62,610Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$65,629
Training and Development Specialist$68,390Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$71,688
Human Resources Specialist$73,010Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$76,530

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.


Fairfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population44,597Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,166Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Butler County207 workers, 29 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Fairfield-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Fairfield, OH?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Fairfield 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 Fairfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Fairfield are: Management Analyst ($97,360), Technical Writer ($79,140), Human Resources Specialist ($73,010). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hamilton instead of Fairfield?

Hamilton, OH is 4.6 miles from Fairfield 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 Fairfield an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Fairfield’s median household income of $70,166 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fairfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Fairfield

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.