Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Arvin, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Arvin, California has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Arvin has a population of about 19,478. Median household income is $49,984 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 4.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $96,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Arvin

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

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 16.9 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 18.8 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Taft College

Taft, CA 35.7 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,861
Avg net price $2,823/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 51.1 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,526
Avg net price $3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, CA 54.8 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
60.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,619
Avg net price $26,196/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA 57.3 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,198
Avg net price $46,080/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

The Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita, CA 58.9 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,106
Avg net price $32,647/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 61.7 miles from Arvin
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Arvin

Arvin is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). 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)
Public Relations Specialist $76,580 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $75,897
Management Analyst $96,580 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $95,719
Technical Writer $76,170 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $75,491
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $61,830 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $61,278
Editor $62,490 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $61,933
Training and Development Specialist $58,860 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $58,335
Human Resources Specialist $76,700 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $76,016

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.

Arvin at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 19,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $49,984 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 4.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Kern County 770 workers, 54 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Arvin-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Arvin, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Arvin. The closest is Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, CA (16.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Thomas Aquinas College (54.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Arvin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Arvin are: Management Analyst ($96,580), Human Resources Specialist ($76,700), Public Relations Specialist ($76,580). 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 Bakersfield instead of Arvin?

Bakersfield, CA is 15.9 miles from Arvin and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Arvin an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Arvin’s median household income of $49,984 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Arvin 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Arvin

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Liberal Arts Schools in California (2026)