Best General Studies Schools Near Gardena, CA (2026)

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

Gardena, California has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $7,449 to $23,191 per year for indexed programs. Gardena has a population of about 59,765. Median household income is $79,291 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.0% 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 Gardena

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

Carson, CA 3.6 miles from Gardena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,162
Avg net price $8,615/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 63

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

#2

Antioch University-Los Angeles

Culver City, CA 7.9 miles from Gardena
  • 4 year
43.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 8.2 miles from Gardena
  • 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

#4

West Los Angeles College

Culver City, CA 8.9 miles from Gardena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,537
Avg net price $9,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 8.9 miles from Gardena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

World Mission University

Los Angeles, CA 11.8 miles from Gardena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Avg net price $15,785/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 12.6 miles from Gardena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 13.6 miles from Gardena
  • 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

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

General Studies Wages Near Gardena

Gardena 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.

Gardena at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,765 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $79,291 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Gardena-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Gardena, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Gardena. The closest is El Camino Community College District in Torrance, CA (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Los Angeles Harbor College (7.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Gardena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Gardena 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 Lawndale instead of Gardena?

Lawndale, CA is 2.7 miles from Gardena 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 Gardena an affordable place to study general studies?

Gardena’s median household income of $79,291 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gardena 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 Gardena

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

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.

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