Best Geography Schools Near Hanford, CA (2026)

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

Hanford, California has 4 accredited schools offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Hanford has a population of about 59,389. Median household income is $73,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning geography-related role is Geography Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $146,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to Hanford

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Hanford, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hanford 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 Hanford. 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-Fresno

Fresno, CA 33.9 miles from Hanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

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

#2

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 106.1 miles from Hanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 132.4 miles from Hanford
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#4

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 140.7 miles from Hanford
  • 4 year
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,526
Avg net price $3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 141.6 miles from Hanford
  • 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

#6

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 147.3 miles from Hanford
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 154.4 miles from Hanford
  • 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

#8

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 157.5 miles from Hanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

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 geography page.

Geography Wages Near Hanford

Hanford is part of the Hanford-Corcoran, CA metro area (BLS area code 25260). 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)
Geographers $114,460 CA statewide $112,657
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $102,780 CA statewide $101,161
Surveyors $105,330 CA statewide $103,671
Urban and Regional Planners $109,610 CA statewide $107,884
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $106,500 CA statewide $104,823
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $146,040 CA statewide $143,740
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $106,510 CA statewide $104,833
Computer Occupations, All Other $98,230 Hanford-Corcoran, CA $96,683

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.

Hanford at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,389 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $73,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hanford-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Hanford, CA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering geography programs near Hanford. The closest is California State University-Fresno in Fresno, CA (33.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merced College (83.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Hanford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Hanford are: Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($146,040), Geographers ($114,460), Urban and Regional Planners ($109,610). 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 Lemoore instead of Hanford?

Lemoore, CA is 8.3 miles from Hanford and has its own set of local geography programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Hanford an affordable place to study geography?

Hanford’s median household income of $73,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hanford 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 Geography Programs

Other Programs Available in Hanford

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

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 Geography Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)