Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Petaluma, CA (2026)

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

Petaluma, California has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Petaluma has a population of about 59,321. Median household income is $109,823 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $129,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Petaluma

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

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 7.3 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA 19.1 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,713
Avg net price $35,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Presidio Graduate School

San Anselmo, CA 19.1 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo, CA 24.6 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $94,784
Avg net price $20,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 24.8 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 27.4 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 32.4 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

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

#8

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 33.6 miles from Petaluma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

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 Petaluma

Petaluma is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). 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 $80,700 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $74,861
Management Analyst $108,490 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $100,640
Technical Writer $129,590 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $120,213
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist N/A CA statewide –
Editor $81,330 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $75,445
Training and Development Specialist $75,590 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $70,121
Human Resources Specialist $81,540 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $75,640

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.

Petaluma at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,321 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $109,823 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 42.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 107.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Sonoma County 1,217 workers, 138 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Petaluma-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Petaluma. The closest is Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Napa Valley College (19.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Petaluma are: Technical Writer ($129,590), Management Analyst ($108,490), Human Resources Specialist ($81,540). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Petaluma?

Rohnert Park, CA is 8.2 miles from Petaluma 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 Petaluma an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Petaluma’s median household income of $109,823 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Petaluma 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 Petaluma

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

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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