Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in South Milwaukee, WI (2026)

South Milwaukee, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. South Milwaukee has a population of about 20,547. Median household income is $70,146 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $102,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to South Milwaukee

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

#1

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Milwaukee, WI 9.5 miles from South Milwaukee BOC Score52.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI 9.6 miles from South Milwaukee BOC Score75.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI 11.5 miles from South Milwaukee BOC Score54.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, WI 22.7 miles from South Milwaukee BOC Score62.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 45.9 miles from South Milwaukee BOC Score59.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near South Milwaukee

South Milwaukee is part of the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area (BLS area code 33340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$65,520Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$67,616
Management Analyst$102,900Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$106,192
Technical Writer$82,370Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$85,005
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$63,050Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$65,067
Editor$66,560Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$68,689
Training and Development Specialist$73,930Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$76,295
Human Resources Specialist$74,970Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$77,368

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.


South Milwaukee at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population20,547Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,146Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Milwaukee County5,250 workers, 133 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other South Milwaukee-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near South Milwaukee, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near South Milwaukee. The closest is Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, WI (9.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lake Forest College (45.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near South Milwaukee?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near South Milwaukee are: Management Analyst ($102,900), Technical Writer ($82,370), Human Resources Specialist ($74,970). 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 Oak Creek instead of South Milwaukee?

Oak Creek, WI is 2.9 miles from South Milwaukee 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 South Milwaukee an affordable place to study liberal arts?

South Milwaukee’s median household income of $70,146 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Milwaukee 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 South Milwaukee

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

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.