Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Union City, CA (2026)

Union City, California has a population of about 68,141. The city’s median household income is $137,194 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 73 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Union City, with tuition ranging from $1,168 to $22,803 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 Union City

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 73 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Union City. Distances are calculated from Union City city center.

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Union City

Union City 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.

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.

Union City at a Glance

Other Union City-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

• Hayward, CA – 3.8 mi away (158,937 pop)
• Fremont, CA – 5.6 mi away (233,136 pop)
• Newark, CA – 5.7 mi away (45,810 pop)
• Pleasanton, CA – 8.7 mi away (82,270 pop)
• Dublin, CA – 10.3 mi away (59,583 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Union City, CA?

Our directory has 73 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Union City. The closest is California State University-East Bay in Hayward, CA (4.2 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Notre Dame de Namur University (15.7 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Union City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Union City 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 Hayward instead of Union City?

Hayward, CA is 3.8 miles from Union City 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 Union City an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Union City’s median household income of $137,194 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Union City 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.

Related Resources

• Online Liberal Arts Programs in California
• Main Liberal Arts Degree Guide
• Liberal Arts Programs by State

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.