Best History Schools Near San Rafael, CA (2026)

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

San Rafael, California has 5 accredited schools offering history programs. San Rafael has a population of about 60,604. Median household income is $109,317 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning history-related role is History Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $162,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest History Schools to San Rafael

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

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA 0.8 miles from San Rafael
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,713
Avg net price $35,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

History Wages Near San Rafael

San Rafael is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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)
Historians $88,790 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $76,808
Archivists $74,320 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $64,291
Curators $90,800 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $78,547
Museum Technicians and Conservators $75,020 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $64,896
History Teachers, Postsecondary $162,160 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $140,277
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $102,880 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $88,997
Writers and Authors $86,480 CA statewide $74,810
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists $101,490 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $87,794

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.

San Rafael at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 60,604 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $109,317 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Rafael-Area Cities With History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited history schools are near San Rafael, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering history programs near San Rafael. The closest is Dominican University of California in San Rafael, CA (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Berkeley City College (16.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying history roles near San Rafael?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying history-related roles near San Rafael are: History Teachers, Postsecondary ($162,160), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($102,880), Librarians and Media Collections Specialists ($101,490). 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 Novato instead of San Rafael?

Novato, CA is 7.3 miles from San Rafael and has its own set of local history programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is San Rafael an affordable place to study history?

San Rafael’s median household income of $109,317 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Rafael 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 History Programs

Other Programs Available in San Rafael

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

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 History Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)