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

Lompoc, California has 1 accredited school offering liberal arts programs. Lompoc has a population of about 43,819. Median household income is $70,038 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $104,450 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Lompoc

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

#1

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA 88.2 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 75.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,152
Avg net price $9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 120.4 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 63.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 132.3 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 80.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA 138.8 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 82.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $128,566
Avg net price $16,075/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 147.6 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 86.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 149.6 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 61.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Touro University Worldwide

Los Alamitos, CA 149.9 miles from Lompoc BOC Score 39.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,803
Avg net price $19,058/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 155.2 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Lompoc

Lompoc 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist$78,450Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$72,105
Management Analyst$99,990Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$91,903
Technical Writer$104,450Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$96,002
News Analyst, Reporter, or JournalistN/ACA statewide
Editor$73,300Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$67,371
Training and Development Specialist$75,890Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$69,752
Human Resources Specialist$80,340Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$73,842

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.


Lompoc at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population43,819Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$70,038Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+12.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Santa Barbara County1,225 workers, 148 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lompoc-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Lompoc are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Lompoc are: Technical Writer ($104,450), Management Analyst ($99,990), Human Resources Specialist ($80,340). 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 Santa Maria instead of Lompoc?

Santa Maria, CA is 18.8 miles from Lompoc 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 Lompoc an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Lompoc’s median household income of $70,038 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lompoc 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 Lompoc

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.