Best Environmental Policy Schools Near Monterey, CA (2026)

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

Monterey, California has 1 accredited school offering environmental policy programs, with tuition ranging from $16,005 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Monterey has a population of about 29,772. Median household income is $104,110 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salinas, CA metro area, the top-earning environmental policy-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $171,290 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Policy Schools to Monterey

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental policy programs near Monterey, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Monterey 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 Monterey. 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 29.6 miles from Monterey
  • 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 Monterey

Monterey is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). 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 $101,560 Salinas, CA $93,174
Compliance Officers $91,210 Salinas, CA $83,679
Management Analysts $102,640 Salinas, CA $94,165
Economists $119,410 CA statewide $109,550
Political Scientists N/A CA statewide –
Conservation Scientists $77,020 Salinas, CA $70,661
Natural Sciences Managers $171,290 Salinas, CA $157,147
Environmental Engineers $126,670 Salinas, CA $116,211

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.

Monterey at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,772 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $104,110 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Monterey-Area Cities With Environmental Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental policy schools are near Monterey, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering environmental policy programs near Monterey. The closest is University of California-Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA (29.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Santa Cruz (29.6 miles).

What are the highest-paying environmental policy roles near Monterey?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental policy-related roles near Monterey are: Natural Sciences Managers ($171,290), Environmental Engineers ($126,670), 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 Seaside instead of Monterey?

Seaside, CA is 4.0 miles from Monterey 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 Monterey an affordable place to study environmental policy?

Monterey’s median household income of $104,110 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monterey 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 Monterey

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

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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