Watsonville, California has 1 accredited school offering education 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 the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $172,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Education Schools to Watsonville
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education 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.
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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Watsonville.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
66%
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,396
Avg net price
$17,890/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Key stats- Retention rate: 89%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,247
Avg net price
$13,663/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,310
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,988
Avg net price
$13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$109,183
Avg net price
$50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,072
Avg net price
$7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$124,080
Avg net price
$13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California education page.
Education 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Secondary School Teacher | $98,810 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $89,909 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $99,260 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $90,318 |
| Middle School Teacher | $79,490 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $72,329 |
| Education Teacher, Postsecondary | $111,850 | CA statewide | $101,774 |
| Education Administrator, K-12 | $157,630 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $143,430 |
| Education Administrator, Postsecondary | $172,410 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $156,879 |
| Tutor | $42,290 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $38,480 |
| Educational and Career Counselor | $74,990 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $68,235 |
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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 51,968 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $74,785 | Census 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 |
| Education-related employment in Santa Cruz County | 1,931 workers, 174 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Watsonville-Area Cities With Education Programs
- Gilroy, CA – 11.8 mi away (111,004 pop)
- Santa Cruz, CA – 15.1 mi away (176,037 pop)
- Morgan Hill, CA – 16.3 mi away (44,155 pop)
- Marina, CA – 16.6 mi away (21,688 pop)
- Salinas, CA – 17.8 mi away (193,126 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited education schools are near Watsonville, CA?
Accredited schools offering education programs near Watsonville 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 Watsonville?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Watsonville are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($172,410), Education Administrator, K-12 ($157,630), 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 Gilroy instead of Watsonville?
Gilroy, CA is 11.8 miles from Watsonville 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 Watsonville an affordable place to study education?
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 Education Programs
Other Programs Available in Watsonville
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Watsonville:
- Criminal Justice programs in Watsonville, CA
- Nursing programs in Watsonville, CA
- Business Administration programs in Watsonville, CA
- Computer Science programs in Watsonville, CA
- Psychology programs in Watsonville, CA
- Engineering programs in Watsonville, CA
- Technology programs in Watsonville, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Watsonville, CA
- Healthcare programs in Watsonville, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Watsonville, CA
- Accounting programs in Watsonville, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Watsonville, CA
- Social Work programs in Watsonville, CA
- Counseling programs in Watsonville, CA
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 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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