Best Higher Education Administration Schools in Arroyo Grande, CA

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

Arroyo Grande, California is home to about 18,412 residents. Median household income is $103,258 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $125,460 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Arroyo Grande

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration programs near Arroyo Grande, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Arroyo Grande 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 Arroyo Grande. 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 Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 115.2 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,712
Avg net price $30,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 125.7 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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

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#3

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 131.8 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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

#4

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 146.9 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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

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#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 151.5 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 168.0 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 169.1 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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

#8

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 176.1 miles from Arroyo Grande
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California higher education administration page.

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Arroyo Grande

Arroyo Grande is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area (BLS area code 42020). 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)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $125,460 CA statewide $115,525
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $99,330 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $91,464
Instructional Coordinators $95,820 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $88,232
Training and Development Specialists $76,270 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $70,230
Education Administrators, All Other $69,470 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $63,969
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $111,850 CA statewide $102,993
Social and Community Service Managers $81,470 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $75,018
Human Resources Specialists $78,020 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $71,842

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.

Arroyo Grande at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 18,412 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $103,258 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Arroyo Grande-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles near Arroyo Grande?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Arroyo Grande are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($125,460), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($111,850), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors ($99,330). 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 San Luis Obispo instead of Arroyo Grande?

San Luis Obispo, CA is 10.9 miles from Arroyo Grande and has its own set of local higher education administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Arroyo Grande an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Arroyo Grande’s median household income of $103,258 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Arroyo Grande 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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Arroyo Grande

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

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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