Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Herndon, VA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Herndon, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Herndon has a population of about 24,529. Median household income is $141,418 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $126,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Herndon

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 10.4 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marymount University

Arlington, VA 14.6 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,516
Avg net price $29,137/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Management and Technology

Arlington, VA 17.6 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,530
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 43.5 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,433
Avg net price $30,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA 46.4 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
60.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,613
Avg net price $20,667/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Randolph-Macon College

Ashland, VA 83.7 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
54.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,448
Avg net price $27,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 87.6 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Herndon

Herndon is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $101,680 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $93,370
Management Analyst $126,830 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $116,465
Technical Writer $99,910 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $91,745
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $101,020 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $92,764
Editor $84,800 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $77,870
Training and Development Specialist $82,400 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $75,666
Human Resources Specialist $100,830 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $92,590

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.

Herndon at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,529 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $141,418 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Fairfax County 1,840 workers, 156 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Herndon-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Herndon. The closest is Columbia College in Vienna, VA (7.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Montgomery College (15.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Herndon are: Management Analyst ($126,830), Public Relations Specialist ($101,680), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($101,020). 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 Fairfax instead of Herndon?

Fairfax, VA is 9.3 miles from Herndon 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 Herndon an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Herndon’s median household income of $141,418 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Herndon 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 Herndon

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Liberal Arts Schools in Virginia: Online Programs (2026)