Best Emergency Management Schools Near Sonora, CA (2026)

Sonora, California has 1 accredited school offering emergency management programs, with tuition ranging from $1,258 to $9,898 per year for indexed 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 emergency management-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $129,910 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Emergency Management Schools to Sonora

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer emergency management 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

Merritt College

Oakland, CA 98.2 miles from Sonora BOC Score 36.6
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,392
Avg net price $14,021/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

De Anza College

Cupertino, CA 101.8 miles from Sonora BOC Score 80.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,596
Avg net price $6,642/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

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

#4

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 126.0 miles from Sonora
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 297.3 miles from Sonora BOC Score 80.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

East Los Angeles College

Monterey Park, CA 299.5 miles from Sonora BOC Score 41.4
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,006
Avg net price $10,852/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Citrus College

Glendora, CA 300.2 miles from Sonora BOC Score 58.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,065
Avg net price $4,135/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Chaffey College

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 307.9 miles from Sonora BOC Score 60.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,975
Avg net price $5,672/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Emergency Management Wages Near Sonora

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (California, statewide)
Emergency Management Director$129,910
Firefighter$85,120
Emergency Medical Technician$46,380
First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers$127,630

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 Emergency Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited emergency management schools are near Sonora, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering emergency management programs near Sonora. The closest is Merritt College in Oakland, CA (98.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merritt College (98.2 miles).

What are the highest-paying emergency management roles in California?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying emergency management-related roles in California are: Emergency Management Director ($129,910), First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers ($127,630), Firefighter ($85,120). 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 emergency management 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 emergency management?

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 Emergency Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Sonora

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

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 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.