Best Economics Schools Near Soledad, CA (2026)

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

Soledad, California has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Soledad has a population of about 24,476. Median household income is $93,204 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 6.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning economics-related role is Statistician at a median $135,960 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Economics Schools to Soledad

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Soledad, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Soledad 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 Soledad. 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

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 55.0 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 68.5 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 70.6 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 76.8 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 79.5 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA 81.5 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,368
Avg net price $11,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 81.9 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 85.4 miles from Soledad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Economics Wages Near Soledad

Soledad is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). 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$119,410CA statewide$109,550
Financial and Investment Analyst$104,780Salinas, CA$96,128
Statistician$135,960CA statewide$124,734
Management Analyst$102,640Salinas, CA$94,165

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.

Soledad at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,476Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$93,204Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+6.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)109.0 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Soledad-Area Cities With Economics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Soledad, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs near Soledad. The closest is Hartnell College in Salinas, CA (24.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Santa Cruz (55.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Soledad?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Soledad are: Statistician ($135,960), Economist ($119,410), Financial and Investment Analyst ($104,780). 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 Salinas instead of Soledad?

Salinas, CA is 23.3 miles from Soledad 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 Soledad an affordable place to study economics?

Soledad’s median household income of $93,204 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Soledad 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 Soledad

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

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.

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