Best Liberal Arts Schools Near South Pasadena, CA (2026)

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

South Pasadena, California has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $7,160 to $19,760 per year for indexed programs. South Pasadena has a population of about 26,297. Median household income is $128,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 72.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $104,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to South Pasadena

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

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA 2.6 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
82.8 BOC Score
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: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Providence Christian College

Pasadena, CA 2.9 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
28.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,264
Avg net price $25,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Saybrook University

Pasadena, CA 3.0 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 3.1 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,211
Avg net price $3,967/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 79

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

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#5

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA 3.3 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,951
Avg net price $38,263/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of the West

Rosemead, CA 6.2 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 100%
Graduation rate 33%
Avg net price $6,845/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,446
Out‑of‑state$15,446
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 8

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

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#7

World Mission University

Los Angeles, CA 8.2 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Avg net price $15,785/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 9.4 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege 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 South Pasadena

South Pasadena is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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 $79,860 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $70,299
Management Analyst $104,930 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $92,368
Technical Writer $104,000 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $91,549
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist N/A CA statewide –
Editor $100,050 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $88,072
Training and Development Specialist $71,990 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $63,371
Human Resources Specialist $80,220 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $70,616

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.

South Pasadena at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,297 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $128,105 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 72.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Los Angeles County 56,719 workers, 18,615 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other South Pasadena-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near South Pasadena, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near South Pasadena. The closest is California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA (2.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pasadena City College (3.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near South Pasadena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near South Pasadena are: Management Analyst ($104,930), Technical Writer ($104,000), Editor ($100,050). 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 Alhambra instead of South Pasadena?

Alhambra, CA is 2.2 miles from South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena an affordable place to study liberal arts?

South Pasadena’s median household income of $128,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena

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

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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