Best Forensic Accounting Schools Near Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Rancho Palos Verdes, California has 5 accredited schools offering forensic accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $22,679 per year for indexed programs. Rancho Palos Verdes has a population of about 41,259. Median household income is $175,307 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning forensic accounting-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $127,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Forensic Accounting Schools to Rancho Palos Verdes

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic accounting programs near Rancho Palos Verdes, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rancho Palos Verdes 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 Rancho Palos Verdes. 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

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 14.6 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 121

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

#2

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 15.2 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,349
Avg net price $48,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pacific States University

Los Angeles, CA 21.5 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 83%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 22.6 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 23.8 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 24.2 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,211
Avg net price $3,967/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 79

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

#7

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 27.4 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,541
Avg net price $21,241/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 27.7 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,939
Avg net price $58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Forensic Accounting Wages Near Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$94,360Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$83,063
Financial Examiner$106,000Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$93,310
Detective and Criminal Investigator$127,890Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$112,579

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.

Rancho Palos Verdes at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population41,259Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$175,307Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+69.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Rancho Palos Verdes-Area Cities With Forensic Accounting Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic accounting schools are near Rancho Palos Verdes, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic accounting programs near Rancho Palos Verdes. The closest is California State University-Long Beach in Long Beach, CA (14.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Biola University (22.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic accounting roles near Rancho Palos Verdes?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic accounting-related roles near Rancho Palos Verdes are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($127,890), Financial Examiner ($106,000), Accountant and Auditor ($94,360). 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 Lomita instead of Rancho Palos Verdes?

Lomita, CA is 3.7 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes and has its own set of local forensic accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Rancho Palos Verdes an affordable place to study forensic accounting?

Rancho Palos Verdes’s median household income of $175,307 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rancho Palos Verdes 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 Forensic Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Rancho Palos Verdes

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rancho Palos Verdes:

Data verified: August 31, 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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