Best International Relations Schools Near Santa Maria, CA

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

Santa Maria, California has 1 accredited school offering international relations programs. Santa Maria has a population of about 109,880. 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 international relations-related role is Public Relations Managers at a median $153,010 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest International Relations Schools to Santa Maria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer international relations 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.

Sort:
#1

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 101.6 miles from Santa Maria
  • 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

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 129.0 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 133.3 miles from Santa Maria
  • 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

#4

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 138.2 miles from Santa Maria
  • 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
#5

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA 138.7 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,951
Avg net price $38,263/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 140.2 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Monterey, CA 141.1 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
92.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,310
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 155.7 miles from Santa Maria
  • 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

Sponsored Ad

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

International Relations 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A CA statewide –
Interpreters and Translators $82,440 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $75,772
Management Analysts $99,990 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $91,903
Economists $119,410 CA statewide $109,752
Public Relations Managers $153,010 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $140,634
Compliance Officers $85,780 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $78,842
Survey Researchers $83,520 CA statewide $76,765
Social and Community Service Managers $79,920 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $73,456

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

Metric Value Source
Population 109,880 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,617 Census 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 International Relations Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited international relations schools are near Santa Maria, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering international relations programs near Santa Maria. The closest is Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA (55.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Barbara City College (55.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying international relations roles near Santa Maria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying international relations-related roles near Santa Maria are: Public Relations Managers ($153,010), Economists ($119,410), Management Analysts ($99,990). 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 international relations 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 international relations?

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 International Relations Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Maria

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

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 International Relations Schools in California (2026)