Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Spartanburg, SC (2026)

Spartanburg, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,660 to $32,494 per year for indexed programs. Spartanburg has a population of about 38,578. Median household income is $51,193 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Spartanburg, SC metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $84,350 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Spartanburg

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

#1

Furman University

Greenville, SC 29.1 miles from Spartanburg BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,635
Avg net price $30,308/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 50.3 miles from Spartanburg BOC Score 49.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,101
Avg net price $23,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 80.3 miles from Spartanburg BOC Score 37.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,338
Avg net price $18,408/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 83.3 miles from Spartanburg BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Coker University

Hartsville, SC 112.6 miles from Spartanburg BOC Score 36.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,117
Avg net price $20,286/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Spartanburg

Spartanburg is part of the Spartanburg, SC metro area (BLS area code 43900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$65,870Spartanburg, SC$72,305
Management Analyst$84,350Spartanburg, SC$92,591
Technical Writer$82,540SC statewide$90,604
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$47,940SC statewide$52,623
Editor$62,000SC statewide$68,057
Training and Development Specialist$66,460Spartanburg, SC$72,953
Human Resources Specialist$67,410Spartanburg, SC$73,996

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.


Spartanburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population38,578Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,193Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Spartanburg County101 workers, 31 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Spartanburg-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Spartanburg, SC?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Spartanburg are: Management Analyst ($84,350), Technical Writer ($82,540), Human Resources Specialist ($67,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Greer instead of Spartanburg?

Greer, SC is 17.5 miles from Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Spartanburg’s median household income of $51,193 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Spartanburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Spartanburg

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

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.