Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Blacksburg, VA (2026)

Blacksburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,545 to $82,818 per year for indexed programs. Blacksburg has a population of about 45,288. Median household income is $48,070 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $95,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Blacksburg

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

#1

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 0.6 miles from Blacksburg BOC Score 80.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Blacksburg

Blacksburg is part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area (BLS area code 13980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$65,170Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA$70,302
Management Analyst$95,940Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA$103,495
Technical Writer$93,600VA statewide$100,971
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$62,140VA statewide$67,033
Editor$80,590VA statewide$86,936
Training and Development Specialist$63,970Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA$69,008
Human Resources Specialist$69,880Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA$75,383

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.


Blacksburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population45,288Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,070Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+69.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Blacksburg-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Blacksburg, VA?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Blacksburg are: Management Analyst ($95,940), Technical Writer ($93,600), Editor ($80,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Christiansburg instead of Blacksburg?

Christiansburg, VA is 6.3 miles from Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Blacksburg’s median household income of $48,070 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Blacksburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Blacksburg

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

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.