Best Online Education Programs in Petaluma, CA (2026)

Petaluma, California has 2 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,602 to $22,714 per year for indexed programs. Petaluma has a population of about 59,321. Median household income is $109,823 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $155,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Petaluma

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

#1

Meridian University

Petaluma, CA 0.9 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near Petaluma

Petaluma is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$101,730Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$94,369
Elementary School Teacher$99,060Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$91,892
Middle School Teacher$98,020Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$90,928
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$111,850CA statewide$103,757
Education Administrator, K-12$155,780Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$144,508
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$125,460CA statewide$116,382
Tutor$49,170Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$45,612
Educational and Career Counselor$98,480Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$91,354

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.


Petaluma at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population59,321Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$109,823Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)107.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Sonoma County2,246 workers, 219 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Petaluma-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Petaluma, CA?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Petaluma are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Petaluma?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Petaluma are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($155,780), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($125,460), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($111,850). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Petaluma?

Rohnert Park, CA is 8.2 miles from Petaluma and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Petaluma an affordable place to study education?

Petaluma’s median household income of $109,823 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Petaluma 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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Petaluma

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.