Best Online Business Administration Programs in Merced, CA (2026)

Merced, California has 5 accredited schools offering business administration programs. Merced has a population of about 89,766. Median household income is $59,938 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Merced, CA metro area, the top-earning business administration-related role is Human Resources Manager at a median $153,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Business Administration Schools to Merced

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

#1

Merced College

Merced, CA 2.0 miles from Merced BOC Score51.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Madera Community College

Madera, CA 37.4 miles from Merced BOC Score55.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 37.7 miles from Merced BOC Score64.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Stellar Career College

Modesto, CA 40.9 miles from Merced BOC Score55.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Clovis Community College

Fresno, CA 50.3 miles from Merced BOC Score53.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California business administration page.


Business Administration Wages Near Merced

Merced is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$94,990Merced, CA$96,633
Administrative Services Manager$103,840Merced, CA$105,636
Financial Manager$134,170Merced, CA$136,490
Human Resources Manager$153,210Merced, CA$155,860
Management Analyst$79,670Merced, CA$81,048
Project Management Specialist$103,850Merced, CA$105,646
Accountant or Auditor$80,420Merced, CA$81,811
Training and Development Specialist$60,990Merced, CA$62,045
Office and Administrative Support Supervisor$68,070Merced, CA$69,247

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.


Merced at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population89,766Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,938Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Business Administration-related employment in Merced County1,246 workers, 127 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Merced-Area Cities With Business Administration Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited business administration schools are near Merced, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering business administration programs near Merced. The closest is Merced College in Merced, CA (2.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Clovis Community College (50.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying business administration roles near Merced?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying business administration-related roles near Merced are: Human Resources Manager ($153,210), Financial Manager ($134,170), Project Management Specialist ($103,850). 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 Atwater instead of Merced?

Atwater, CA is 7.4 miles from Merced and has its own set of local business administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Merced an affordable place to study business administration?

Merced’s median household income of $59,938 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merced 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 Business Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Merced

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

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.