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Best Online Finance Programs in Santa Maria, CA (2026)
Santa Maria, California has 1 accredited school offering finance programs. Santa Maria has a population of about 109,880. Median household income is $84,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning finance-related role is Financial Manager at a median $164,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Finance Schools to Santa Maria
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer finance programs near Santa Maria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Maria city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California finance page.
Finance Wages Near Santa Maria
Santa Maria is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisor | $124,380 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $114,320 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | $97,720 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $89,816 |
| Loan Officer | $86,200 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $79,228 |
| Financial Manager | $164,270 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $150,983 |
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.
Santa Maria at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 109,880 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $84,617 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 15.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 108.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Santa Maria-Area Cities With Finance Programs
- Arroyo Grande, CA – 15.4 mi away (54,542 pop)
- Lompoc, CA – 18.8 mi away (53,062 pop)
- San Luis Obispo, CA – 26.3 mi away (62,391 pop)
- Atascadero, CA – 40.3 mi away (30,330 pop)
- Goleta, CA – 47.8 mi away (30,850 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited finance schools are near Santa Maria, CA?
Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering finance programs near Santa Maria. The closest is Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA (55.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Barbara City College (55.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying finance roles near Santa Maria?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying finance-related roles near Santa Maria are: Financial Manager ($164,270), Personal Financial Advisor ($124,380), Financial and Investment Analyst ($97,720). 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 Arroyo Grande instead of Santa Maria?
Arroyo Grande, CA is 15.4 miles from Santa Maria and has its own set of local finance programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Santa Maria an affordable place to study finance?
Santa Maria’s median household income of $84,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Maria 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 Finance Programs
- Is a Finance degree worth it?
- Main Finance degree guide
- Online Finance programs in California
- Finance programs by state
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Data verified: August 10, 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.