Best Economics Schools Near Santa Monica, CA (2026)

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

Santa Monica, California has 76 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $72,097 per year for indexed programs. Santa Monica has a population of about 91,535. Median household income is $109,739 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 68.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning economics-related role is Economist at a median $151,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Economics Schools to Santa Monica

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Santa Monica, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Monica city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

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

Economics Wages Near Santa Monica

Santa Monica 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)
Economist$151,510Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$133,371
Financial and Investment Analyst$102,260Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$90,018
Statistician$116,200Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$102,289
Management Analyst$104,930Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$92,368

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.

Santa Monica at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population91,535Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$109,739Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+68.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Monica-Area Cities With Economics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Santa Monica, CA?

Our directory has 76 accredited schools offering economics programs near Santa Monica. The closest is Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, CA (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Los Angeles Pierce College (12.3 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Santa Monica?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Santa Monica are: Economist ($151,510), Statistician ($116,200), Management Analyst ($104,930). 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 Culver City instead of Santa Monica?

Culver City, CA is 5.0 miles from Santa Monica and has its own set of local economics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Santa Monica an affordable place to study economics?

Santa Monica’s median household income of $109,739 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Monica 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 Economics Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Monica

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

Data verified: August 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.

Back to Best Economics Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)