Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Eau Claire, WI (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Eau Claire has a population of about 69,274. Median household income is $65,369 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Eau Claire, WI metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $99,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Eau Claire

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Eau Claire. Distances are calculated from Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Eau Claire

Eau Claire is part of the Eau Claire, WI metro area (BLS area code 20740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist	$61,500	Eau Claire, WI	$66,272
Management Analyst	$99,090	Eau Claire, WI	$106,778
Technical Writer	$80,030	WI statewide	$86,239
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist	$57,530	WI statewide	$61,994
Editor	$54,090	Eau Claire, WI	$58,287
Training and Development Specialist	$62,180	Eau Claire, WI	$67,004
Human Resources Specialist	$64,900	Eau Claire, WI	$69,935

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.

Eau Claire at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	69,274	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$65,369	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	35.0%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	92.8 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Eau Claire-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Winona, MN – 53.8 mi away (30,208 pop)
Hudson, WI – 61.4 mi away (24,001 pop)
Hastings, MN – 66.9 mi away (22,761 pop)
La Crosse, WI – 70.1 mi away (102,427 pop)
Woodbury, MN – 70.2 mi away (68,820 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Eau Claire, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Eau Claire. The closest is Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, MN (54.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Concordia University-Saint Paul (81.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Eau Claire?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Eau Claire are: Management Analyst ($99,090), Technical Writer ($80,030), Human Resources Specialist ($64,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winona instead of Eau Claire?

Winona, MN is 53.8 miles from Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Eau Claire’s median household income of $65,369 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Eau Claire while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Eau Claire

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

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.

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