Best Economics Schools Near Watsonville, CA (2026)

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

Watsonville, California has 41 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,188 to $61,293 per year for indexed programs. Watsonville has a population of about 51,968. Median household income is $74,785 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.7% 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 Watsonville

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

Watsonville is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). 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$108,653
Financial and Investment Analyst$99,820Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$90,828
Statistician$135,960CA statewide$123,712
Management Analyst$105,480Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$95,978

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.

Watsonville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,968Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$74,785Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+12.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)109.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Watsonville-Area Cities With Economics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Watsonville, CA?

Our directory has 41 accredited schools offering economics programs near Watsonville. The closest is Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA (9.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Clara University (31.0 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Watsonville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Watsonville are: Statistician ($135,960), Economist ($119,410), Management Analyst ($105,480). 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 Gilroy instead of Watsonville?

Gilroy, CA is 11.8 miles from Watsonville 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 Watsonville an affordable place to study economics?

Watsonville’s median household income of $74,785 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watsonville 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 Watsonville

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

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.

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