Best Health Science Schools Near Santa Maria, CA (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Santa Maria, California is home to about 109,880 residents. Median household income is $84,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning health science-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $130,290 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Health Science Schools to Santa Maria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer health science programs near Santa Maria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria. 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-Northridge

Northridge, CA 118.9 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • 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: 18

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

#2

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 128.7 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 4

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

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 138.0 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 173.0 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 10

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

#5

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 184.6 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • 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: 14

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

#6

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 191.2 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
96.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 226.9 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 5

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

#8

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 232.5 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
92.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 27%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,943
Avg net price $12,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 9

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

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

Health Science Wages Near Santa Maria

Santa Maria is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager$130,290Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$119,752
Health Education Specialist$65,000Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$59,743
Health Information Technologist$90,750CA statewide$83,410
Health Technologist and Technician$59,560Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$54,743

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.

Santa Maria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population109,880Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,617Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Maria-Area Cities With Health Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying health science roles near Santa Maria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying health science-related roles near Santa Maria are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($130,290), Health Information Technologist ($90,750), Health Education Specialist ($65,000). 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 Arroyo Grande instead of Santa Maria?

Arroyo Grande, CA is 15.4 miles from Santa Maria and has its own set of local health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Santa Maria an affordable place to study health science?

Santa Maria’s median household income of $84,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Maria 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 Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Maria

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

Data verified: August 25, 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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