Best General Studies Schools Near El Monte, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

El Monte, California has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $1,388 to $21,391 per year for indexed programs. El Monte has a population of about 107,066. Median household income is $64,484 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $125,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to El Monte

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near El Monte, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Monte 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 El Monte. 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 the West

Rosemead, CA 3.6 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 100%
Graduation rate 33%
Avg net price $6,845/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,446
Out‑of‑state$15,446
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 8

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

#2

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 3.7 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Whittier College

Whittier, CA 6.6 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
44.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,492
Avg net price $25,757/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 8.0 miles from El Monte
  • 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

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#5

Providence Christian College

Pasadena, CA 8.3 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
28.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,264
Avg net price $25,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saybrook University

Pasadena, CA 8.9 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 8.9 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Life Pacific University

San Dimas, CA 11.6 miles from El Monte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
38.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,299
Avg net price $20,898/yr
Tuition
In‑state$22,118
Out‑of‑state$22,118
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 9

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

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

General Studies Wages Near El Monte

El Monte 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $125,830 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $110,766
Management Analysts $104,930 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $92,368
Human Resources Specialists $80,220 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $70,616
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $82,990 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $73,055
Writers and Authors $77,250 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $68,002
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $100,960 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $88,873
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $77,530 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $68,248
Social and Community Service Managers $87,100 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $76,673

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.

El Monte at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 107,066 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,484 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 14.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other El Monte-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near El Monte, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near El Monte. The closest is University of the West in Rosemead, CA (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is East Los Angeles College (7.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near El Monte?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near El Monte are: General and Operations Managers ($125,830), Management Analysts ($104,930), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($100,960). 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 South El Monte instead of El Monte?

South El Monte, CA is 2.0 miles from El Monte and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is El Monte an affordable place to study general studies?

El Monte’s median household income of $64,484 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Monte 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in El Monte

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best General Studies Schools in California (2026)