Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Sonora, CA (2026)

Sonora, California has 4 accredited schools offering elementary education programs. Sonora has a population of about 4,965. Median household income is $62,621 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Secondary School Teacher at a median $101,370 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Sonora

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

#1

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 50.7 miles from Sonora BOC Score 75.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

William Jessup University

Rocklin, CA 76.0 miles from Sonora BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,257
Avg net price $28,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 94.6 miles from Sonora BOC Score 72.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,812
Avg net price $30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 95.8 miles from Sonora BOC Score 77.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Alder Graduate School of Education

Redwood City, CA 107.1 miles from Sonora
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

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

#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 113.6 miles from Sonora BOC Score 70.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 118.9 miles from Sonora BOC Score 68.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA 247.3 miles from Sonora BOC Score 68.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,778
Avg net price $29,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary Education Wages Near Sonora

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (California, statewide)
Elementary School Teacher$99,650
Middle School Teacher$98,950
Secondary School Teacher$101,370
Teaching Assistant$46,490

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.


Sonora at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population4,965Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,621Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Sonora-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Sonora, CA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Sonora. The closest is University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA (50.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Clara University (95.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles in California?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles in California are: Secondary School Teacher ($101,370), Elementary School Teacher ($99,650), Middle School Teacher ($98,950). Wages for Sonora workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Oakdale instead of Sonora?

Oakdale, CA is 29.5 miles from Sonora and has its own set of local elementary education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Sonora an affordable place to study elementary education?

Sonora’s median household income of $62,621 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sonora 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Sonora

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.