Best Environmental Science Schools Near Benicia, CA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Benicia, California has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $16,347 to $50,547 per year for indexed programs. Benicia has a population of about 26,861. Median household income is $125,040 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Vallejo, CA metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $136,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Benicia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Benicia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Benicia 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 Benicia. 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-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 14.9 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

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

#2

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 16.1 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.4 BOC Score
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: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 20.0 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 25.9 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
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: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 29.0 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

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

#6

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 29.9 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 34.0 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 39.1 miles from Benicia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,838
Avg net price $14,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 153

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 science page.

Environmental Science Wages Near Benicia

Benicia is part of the Vallejo, CA metro area (BLS area code 46700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$95,750Vallejo, CA$88,249
Conservation Scientist$79,810CA statewide$73,558
Environmental Engineer$136,640Vallejo, CA$125,935
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$98,530CA statewide$90,811

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.

Benicia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,861Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$125,040Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+45.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.5 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Benicia-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Benicia, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Benicia. The closest is Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA (8.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeastern University Oakland (20.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Benicia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Benicia are: Environmental Engineer ($136,640), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($98,530), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($95,750). 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 Vallejo instead of Benicia?

Vallejo, CA is 5.3 miles from Benicia and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Benicia an affordable place to study environmental science?

Benicia’s median household income of $125,040 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Benicia 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 Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Benicia

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

Data verified: September 1, 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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