Best Behavioral Health Science Schools Near Lancaster, CA

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, California has 5 accredited schools offering behavioral health science programs, with tuition ranging from $7,449 to $35,062 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 170,013. Median household income is $76,083 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning behavioral health science-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $87,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Behavioral Health Science Schools to Lancaster

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Life Pacific University

San Dimas, CA 45.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
38.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,299
Avg net price $20,898/yr
Tuition
In‑state$22,118
Out‑of‑state$22,118
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 46.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Phoenix-California

Ontario, CA 54.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA 57.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,162
Avg net price $8,615/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 68.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA 74.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,083
Avg net price $28,115/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 115.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 141.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
15.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California behavioral health science page.

Behavioral Health Science Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$51,910Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$45,695
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$78,410Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$69,023
Social and Community Service Manager$87,100Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$76,673
Social and Human Service Assistant$50,330Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$44,305

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population170,013Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,083Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Behavioral Health Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited behavioral health science schools are near Lancaster, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering behavioral health science programs near Lancaster. The closest is Life Pacific University in San Dimas, CA (45.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Baptist University (68.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying behavioral health science roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying behavioral health science-related roles near Lancaster are: Social and Community Service Manager ($87,100), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($78,410), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($51,910). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Palmdale instead of Lancaster?

Palmdale, CA is 7.9 miles from Lancaster and has its own set of local behavioral health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lancaster an affordable place to study behavioral health science?

Lancaster’s median household income of $76,083 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Behavioral Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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