Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Norristown, PA (2026)

Norristown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Norristown has a population of about 35,782. Median household income is $65,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $100,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Norristown

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

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 Norristown. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

La Salle University

Philadelphia, PA 11.5 miles from Norristown BOC Score64.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA 13.9 miles from Norristown BOC Score71.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA 14.2 miles from Norristown BOC Score83.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Widener University

Chester, PA 18.1 miles from Norristown BOC Score65.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ 30.9 miles from Norristown BOC Score68.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Norristown

Norristown is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$64,550Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$62,914
Management Analyst$100,920Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$98,363
Technical Writer$92,330Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$89,990
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$63,690Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$62,076
Editor$74,530Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$72,641
Training and Development Specialist$76,710Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$74,766
Human Resources Specialist$76,700Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$74,756

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.


Norristown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,782Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,058Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Montgomery County524 workers, 129 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Norristown-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Norristown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Norristown. The closest is La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA (11.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rowan University (30.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Norristown are: Management Analyst ($100,920), Technical Writer ($92,330), Training and Development Specialist ($76,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Philadelphia instead of Norristown?

Philadelphia, PA is 13.5 miles from Norristown 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 Norristown an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Norristown’s median household income of $65,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norristown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Norristown

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

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.