Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Merced, CA

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

Merced, California has 3 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,918 per year for indexed programs. Merced has a population of about 89,766. Median household income is $59,938 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Merced, CA metro area, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $165,620 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Merced

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration programs near Merced, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Merced 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 Merced. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 52.9 miles from Merced
  • 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

Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto Campuses

Stockton, CA 67.0 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,248
Avg net price $5,524/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,500
Out‑of‑state$13,500
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 14

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

Sponsored Ad
#3

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 77.1 miles from Merced
  • 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

#4

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 112.9 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 231.0 miles from Merced
  • 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

#6

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 238.3 miles from Merced
  • 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

Sponsored Ad
#7

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 257.9 miles from Merced
  • 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

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 258.2 miles from Merced
  • 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

Sponsored Ad

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

Higher Education Administration Wages Near Merced

Merced is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). 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 $165,620 Merced, CA $168,484
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $83,020 Merced, CA $84,456
Instructional Coordinators $106,710 Merced, CA $108,555
Training and Development Specialists $60,990 Merced, CA $62,045
Education Administrators, All Other $128,210 Merced, CA $130,427
Education Teachers, Postsecondary $111,850 CA statewide $113,784
Social and Community Service Managers $76,760 Merced, CA $78,087
Human Resources Specialists $76,820 Merced, CA $78,149

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.

Merced at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 89,766 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,938 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 18.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Merced-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited higher education administration schools are near Merced, CA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering higher education administration programs near Merced. The closest is California State University-Fresno in Fresno, CA (52.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Jose State University (77.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles near Merced are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($165,620), Education Administrators, All Other ($128,210), Education Teachers, Postsecondary ($111,850). 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 Atwater instead of Merced?

Atwater, CA is 7.4 miles from Merced 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 Merced an affordable place to study higher education administration?

Merced’s median household income of $59,938 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merced 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 Merced

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

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 Higher Education Administration Schools in California