Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Modesto, CA (2026)

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

Modesto, California has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $13,500 to $20,918 per year for indexed programs. Modesto has a population of about 218,614. Median household income is $77,899 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.3% 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 Modesto

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

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 1.0 miles from Modesto
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Modesto

Modesto 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $76,610 Modesto, CA $73,593
Management Analyst $96,120 Modesto, CA $92,334
Technical Writer $104,000 CA statewide $99,904
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist N/A CA statewide –
Editor $98,030 CA statewide $94,169
Training and Development Specialist $74,220 Modesto, CA $71,297
Human Resources Specialist $77,070 Modesto, 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.

Modesto at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 218,614 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,899 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.3% 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 County 368 workers, 38 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Modesto-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Modesto. The closest is Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto Campuses (31.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Modesto 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 Ceres instead of Modesto?

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

Modesto’s median household income of $77,899 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Modesto 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 Modesto

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

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.

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