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

Waynesboro, Virginia has 4 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $36,028 to $77,290 per year for indexed programs. Waynesboro has a population of about 22,574. Median household income is $56,364 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $93,600 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Waynesboro

The 4 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 4 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Waynesboro. Distances are calculated from Waynesboro city center.

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 Waynesboro. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 25.4 miles from Waynesboro BOC Score77.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 81.6 miles from Waynesboro BOC Score76.3
Published tuition$62,600 - $77,290
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 85.8 miles from Waynesboro BOC Score59.6
Published tuition$36,028 - $50,500
Online programsYes

Visit website

#4

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 86.8 miles from Waynesboro BOC Score65.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Waynesboro

Waynesboro is part of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area (BLS area code 44420). 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$59,900Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$65,752
Management Analyst$91,790Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$100,757
Technical Writer$93,600VA statewide$102,744
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$62,140VA statewide$68,211
Editor$80,590VA statewide$88,463
Training and Development Specialist$63,130Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$69,297
Human Resources Specialist$65,540Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$71,943

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.


Waynesboro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population22,574Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,364Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Waynesboro-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Waynesboro. The closest is James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA (25.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Virginia Commonwealth University (86.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Waynesboro are: Technical Writer ($93,600), Management Analyst ($91,790), 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 Staunton instead of Waynesboro?

Staunton, VA is 10.8 miles from Waynesboro 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 Waynesboro an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Waynesboro’s median household income of $56,364 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waynesboro 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 Waynesboro

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.