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

Herndon, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $36,028 to $84,696 per year for indexed 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.

#1

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 10.8 miles from Herndon BOC Score 81.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 43.6 miles from Herndon BOC Score 59.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 87.7 miles from Herndon BOC Score 77.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 96.7 miles from Herndon BOC Score 76.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,178
Avg net price $31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 98.2 miles from Herndon BOC Score 65.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 120.4 miles from Herndon BOC Score 42.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $15,840/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA 140.7 miles from Herndon BOC Score 59.7
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,509
Avg net price $23,015/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,828
Out‑of‑state$31,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 9

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

#8

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 163.5 miles from Herndon BOC Score 34.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 38%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,498
Avg net price $19,923/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,650
Out‑of‑state$21,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 44

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

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.

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

MetricValueSource
Population24,529Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,418Census 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 County1,840 workers, 156 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Herndon-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Herndon 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 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: 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.