Best Innovation Schools Near Grass Valley, CA (2026)

Grass Valley, California has 16 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $1,124 to $12,616 per year for indexed programs. Grass Valley has a population of about 14,126. Median household income is $48,850 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $218,290 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Grass Valley

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

#1

Feather River Community College District

Quincy, CA 50.4 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 43.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,142
Avg net price $10,800/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 89.2 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 61.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 108.7 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 64.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 111.2 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 72.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,812
Avg net price $30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Shasta College

Redding, CA 117.7 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 60.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,269
Avg net price $2,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 125.0 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 70.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Silicon Valley

San Jose, CA 133.9 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 36.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,017
Avg net price $27,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Skyline College

San Bruno, CA 134.0 miles from Grass Valley BOC Score 70.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,702
Avg net price $1,738/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Innovation Wages Near Grass Valley

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (California, statewide)
General and Operations Manager$124,390
Management Analyst$101,460
Marketing Manager$193,620
Computer and Information Systems Manager$218,290

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.


Grass Valley at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population14,126Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,850Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Grass Valley-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Grass Valley, CA?

Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Grass Valley. The closest is Yuba College in Marysville, CA (26.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lake Tahoe Community College (61.6 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles in California?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles in California are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($218,290), Marketing Manager ($193,620), General and Operations Manager ($124,390). Wages for Grass Valley workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Lincoln instead of Grass Valley?

Lincoln, CA is 27.3 miles from Grass Valley and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Grass Valley an affordable place to study innovation?

Grass Valley’s median household income of $48,850 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grass Valley 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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Grass Valley

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

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.