Best Geography Schools Near Palm Springs, CA (2026)

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

Palm Springs, California has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $1,428 to $76,630 per year for indexed programs. Palm Springs has a population of about 44,998. Median household income is $71,979 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.1% 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 Palm Springs

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

Redlands, CA 40.2 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,690
Avg net price $30,031/yr
Tuition
In‑state$60,878
Out‑of‑state$60,878
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 67

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

#2

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 52.2 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,977
Avg net price $4,564/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

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#3

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 58.6 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA 75.7 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 64

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

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#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 77.3 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

#6

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 77.5 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

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#7

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 77.6 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 88

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

#8

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 78.0 miles from Palm Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

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

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

Geography Wages Near Palm Springs

Palm Springs is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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 $107,575
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $100,550 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $94,502
Surveyors $100,510 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $94,464
Urban and Regional Planners $108,760 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $102,218
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $90,270 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $84,840
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $146,040 CA statewide $137,256
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $104,110 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $97,848
Computer Occupations, All Other $96,890 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $91,062

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.

Palm Springs at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,998 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $71,979 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Springs-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Palm Springs, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Palm Springs. The closest is Mt San Jacinto Community College District in San Jacinto, CA (24.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Riverside City College (49.9 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Palm Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Palm Springs are: Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($146,040), Geographers ($114,460), Urban and Regional Planners ($108,760). 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 Cathedral City instead of Palm Springs?

Cathedral City, CA is 4.8 miles from Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs an affordable place to study geography?

Palm Springs’s median household income of $71,979 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs

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

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)