Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Mission, TX (2026)

Mission, Texas has 1 accredited school offering liberal arts programs. Mission has a population of about 86,234. Median household income is $60,813 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $82,750 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Mission

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

#1

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, TX 11.8 miles from Mission BOC Score 64.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,620
Avg net price $4,831/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Texas A & M International University

Laredo, TX 116.6 miles from Mission BOC Score 58.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,386
Avg net price $3,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX 121.1 miles from Mission BOC Score 43.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,865
Avg net price $15,225/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The University of Texas at San Antonio

San Antonio, TX 234.3 miles from Mission BOC Score 68.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,131
Avg net price $10,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 255.6 miles from Mission BOC Score 64.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Edward's University

Austin, TX 280.3 miles from Mission BOC Score 58.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 81%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,826
Avg net price $25,578/yr
Tuition
In‑state$51,384
Out‑of‑state$51,384
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX 284.3 miles from Mission BOC Score 84.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,121
Avg net price $19,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rice University

Houston, TX 296.5 miles from Mission BOC Score 93.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 8%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,718
Avg net price $13,370/yr
Tuition
In‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Mission

Mission is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area (BLS area code 32580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$48,980McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$57,020
Management Analyst$72,150McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$83,993
Technical Writer$82,750TX statewide$96,333
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$39,860McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$46,403
Editor$45,950TX statewide$53,492
Training and Development Specialist$48,260McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$56,182
Human Resources Specialist$53,600McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$62,398

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.


Mission at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population86,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,813Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Hidalgo County745 workers, 37 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Mission-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Mission, TX?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Mission 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 Mission?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Mission are: Technical Writer ($82,750), Management Analyst ($72,150), Human Resources Specialist ($53,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in McAllen instead of Mission?

McAllen, TX is 5.0 miles from Mission 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 Mission an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Mission’s median household income of $60,813 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mission while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Mission

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

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.