Best Online Psychology Programs in East Chicago, IN (2026)

East Chicago, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs, with tuition ranging from $8,419 to $31,758 per year for indexed programs. East Chicago has a population of about 26,158. Median household income is $41,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 9.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $90,620 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Psychology Schools to East Chicago

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

#1

Calumet College of Saint Joseph

Whiting, IN 2.6 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 33.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,945
Avg net price $22,451/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 4.8 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 50.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,318
Avg net price $6,079/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,675
Out‑of‑state$16,094
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Indiana University-Northwest

Gary, IN 8.7 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,361
Avg net price $5,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 24.7 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 71.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,191
Avg net price $18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN 61.9 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,354
Avg net price $25,292/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Holy Cross College

Notre Dame, IN 62.0 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 37.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,416
Avg net price $26,728/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,600
Out‑of‑state$36,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN 62.8 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 83.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $99,980
Avg net price $26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 63.5 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 43.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,947
Avg net price $8,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana psychology page.


Psychology Wages Near East Chicago

East Chicago is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$85,390Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$82,423
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistN/AIN statewide
School Psychologist$90,620Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$87,471
Educational and Career Counselor$64,730Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$62,481
Marriage and Family Therapist$61,360Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$59,228
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor$61,600Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$59,459
Healthcare Social Worker$71,430Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$68,948
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$57,720Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$55,714

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.


East Chicago at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,158Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$41,071Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+9.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in Lake County7,428 workers, 638 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other East Chicago-Area Cities With Psychology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near East Chicago, IN?

Accredited schools offering psychology programs near East Chicago 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 psychology roles near East Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near East Chicago are: School Psychologist ($90,620), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($85,390), Healthcare Social Worker ($71,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hammond instead of East Chicago?

Hammond, IN is 2.9 miles from East Chicago and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is East Chicago an affordable place to study psychology?

East Chicago’s median household income of $41,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Chicago while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in East Chicago

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

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.