Best General Studies Schools Near Palo Alto, CA (2026)

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

Palo Alto, California has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Palo Alto has a population of about 67,231. Median household income is $220,408 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 82.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $163,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Palo Alto

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

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 2.3 miles from Palo Alto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 2.8 miles from Palo Alto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 11.8 miles from Palo Alto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 15.1 miles from Palo Alto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 19.1 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

Skyline College

San Bruno, CA 24.1 miles from Palo Alto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,702
Avg net price $1,738/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 27.8 miles from Palo Alto
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#8

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 29.1 miles from Palo Alto
  • 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

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

General Studies Wages Near Palo Alto

Palo Alto is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). 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 $163,860 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $148,424
Management Analysts $136,670 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $123,795
Human Resources Specialists $112,140 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $101,576
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $141,960 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $128,587
Writers and Authors $118,810 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $107,618
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $108,230 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $98,034
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $95,010 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $86,060
Social and Community Service Managers $98,030 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $88,795

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.

Palo Alto at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 67,231 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $220,408 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 82.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Palo Alto-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Palo Alto, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Palo Alto. The closest is Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA (2.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mission College (9.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Palo Alto?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Palo Alto are: General and Operations Managers ($163,860), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($141,960), Management Analysts ($136,670). 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 Los Altos instead of Palo Alto?

Los Altos, CA is 3.2 miles from Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto an affordable place to study general studies?

Palo Alto’s median household income of $220,408 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto

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

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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