Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Ceres, CA (2026)

Ceres, California has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $15,247 to $46,024 per year for indexed programs. Ceres has a population of about 48,918. Median household income is $76,862 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $104,000 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Ceres

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Ceres. Distances are calculated from Ceres city center.

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 Ceres. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

De Anza College

Cupertino, CA 62.4 miles from Ceres BOC Score80.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 67.2 miles from Ceres BOC Score95.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

Laney College

Oakland, CA 72.3 miles from Ceres BOC Score17.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#4

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 79.0 miles from Ceres BOC Score89.9
Published tuition$15,247 - $46,024
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA 79.7 miles from Ceres BOC Score62.7
Published tuition$31,243
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Ceres

Ceres is part of the Modesto, CA metro area (BLS area code 33700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$76,610Modesto, CA$73,593
Management Analyst$96,120Modesto, CA$92,334
Technical Writer$104,000CA statewide$99,904
News Analyst, Reporter, or JournalistN/ACA statewide
Editor$98,030CA statewide$94,169
Training and Development Specialist$74,220Modesto, CA$71,297
Human Resources Specialist$77,070Modesto, CA$74,035

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.


Ceres at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,918Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,862Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+13.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Stanislaus County368 workers, 38 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Ceres-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Ceres. The closest is De Anza College in Cupertino, CA (62.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Golden Gate University (79.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Ceres are: Technical Writer ($104,000), Editor ($98,030), Management Analyst ($96,120). 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 Modesto instead of Ceres?

Modesto, CA is 3.6 miles from Ceres 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 Ceres an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Ceres’s median household income of $76,862 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ceres 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 Ceres

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

Data verified: June 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 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.