State College, Pennsylvania has 4 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $13,544 to $29,480 per year for indexed programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $87,620 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Liberal Arts Schools to State College
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near State College, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from State College 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 State College.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
61%
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,435
Avg net price
$32,875/yr
TuitionIn‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,435
Avg net price
$19,550/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
42%
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$70,204
Avg net price
$37,607/yr
TuitionIn‑state$65,650
Out‑of‑state$65,650
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 3
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,351
Avg net price
$23,726/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
12%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$114,862
Avg net price
$31,944/yr
TuitionIn‑state$66,246
Out‑of‑state$66,246
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,125
Avg net price
$30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
87%
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,051
Avg net price
$20,786/yr
TuitionIn‑state$35,874
Out‑of‑state$35,874
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,976
Avg net price
$22,051/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 59%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania liberal arts page.
Liberal Arts Wages Near State College
State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $63,580 | State College, PA | $65,682 |
| Management Analyst | $60,890 | State College, PA | $62,903 |
| Technical Writer | $87,620 | PA statewide | $90,517 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist | N/A | PA statewide | – |
| Editor | $63,460 | PA statewide | $65,558 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $75,070 | State College, PA | $77,552 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $64,220 | State College, PA | $66,343 |
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.
State College at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 40,669 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $47,132 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 70.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 96.8 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Liberal Arts-related employment in Centre County | 233 workers, 38 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other State College-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs
- Lewistown, PA – 20.0 mi away (21,854 pop)
- Altoona, PA – 34.6 mi away (76,943 pop)
- Williamsport, PA – 52.8 mi away (55,100 pop)
- Milton, PA – 54.7 mi away (30,198 pop)
- Sunbury, PA – 56.1 mi away (28,544 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited liberal arts schools are near State College, PA?
Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near State College 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 State College?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near State College are: Technical Writer ($87,620), Training and Development Specialist ($75,070), Human Resources Specialist ($64,220). 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 Lewistown instead of State College?
Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College 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 State College an affordable place to study liberal arts?
State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College 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 State College
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for State College:
- Criminal Justice programs in State College, PA
- Nursing programs in State College, PA
- Business Administration programs in State College, PA
- Computer Science programs in State College, PA
- Psychology programs in State College, PA
- Education programs in State College, PA
- Engineering programs in State College, PA
- Technology programs in State College, PA
- Healthcare programs in State College, PA
- Cybersecurity programs in State College, PA
- Accounting programs in State College, PA
- Healthcare Administration programs in State College, PA
- Social Work programs in State College, PA
- Counseling programs in State College, PA
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 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.
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