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

Concord, California has a population of about 124,260. The city’s median household income is $109,195 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 74 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Concord, with tuition ranging from $14,850 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $130,850 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Concord

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 74 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Concord. Distances are calculated from Concord city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Diablo Valley CollegePleasant Hill, CA3.9 miContact school for pricing
Los Medanos CollegePittsburg, CA8.0 miContact school for pricing
Saint Mary’s College of CaliforniaMoraga, CA10.8 miContact school for pricing
California State University Maritime AcademyVallejo, CA14.2 miContact school for pricing
Merritt CollegeOakland, CA15.5 miContact school for pricing
University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA15.7 mi$14,850 - $45,627
Berkeley City CollegeBerkeley, CA16.2 miContact school for pricing
National Holistic InstituteEmeryville, CA18.0 miContact school for pricing
Contra Costa CollegeSan Pablo, CA18.3 miContact school for pricing
Laney CollegeOakland, CA18.7 miContact school for pricing

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Concord

Concord 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$98,460San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$85,173
Management Analyst$128,120San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,830
Technical Writer$130,850San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$113,192
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$102,240San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$88,443
Editor$99,720San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$86,263
Training and Development Specialist$92,390San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$79,922
Human Resources Specialist$100,600San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$87,024

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Concord at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population124,260Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$109,195Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Contra Costa County881 workers, 163 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Concord-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 74 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Concord. The closest is Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA (3.9 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Laney College (18.7 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Concord are: Technical Writer ($130,850), Management Analyst ($128,120), News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist ($102,240). 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 Pleasant Hill instead of Concord?

Pleasant Hill, CA is 4.2 miles from Concord 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 Concord an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Concord’s median household income of $109,195 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Concord 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.