Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Los Banos, CA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Los Banos, California has 1 accredited school offering environmental policy programs, with tuition ranging from $16,005 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Los Banos has a population of about 46,776. Median household income is $70,893 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $210,230 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Los Banos

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 67.4 miles from Los Banos
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

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

Environmental Policy Wages Near Los Banos

Los Banos is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). 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)
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $106,510 CA statewide $108,352
Compliance Officers $84,020 Merced, CA $85,473
Management Analysts $79,670 Merced, CA $81,048
Economists $119,410 CA statewide $121,475
Political Scientists N/A CA statewide –
Conservation Scientists $79,810 CA statewide $81,190
Natural Sciences Managers $210,230 CA statewide $213,866
Environmental Engineers $130,410 CA statewide $132,665

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.

Los Banos at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 46,776 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,893 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 13.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Los Banos-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental policy schools are near Los Banos, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs near Los Banos. The closest is University of California-Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA (67.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Santa Cruz (67.4 miles).

What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles near Los Banos?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Los Banos are: Natural Sciences Managers ($210,230), Environmental Engineers ($130,410), Economists ($119,410). 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 Atwater instead of Los Banos?

Atwater, CA is 24.1 miles from Los Banos and has its own set of local environmental policy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Los Banos an affordable place to study environmental policy?

Los Banos’s median household income of $70,893 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Los Banos 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 Environmental Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Los Banos

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

Data verified: September 7, 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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