Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Upland, CA (2026)

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

Upland, California has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $68,613 to $90,165 per year for indexed programs. Upland has a population of about 78,940. Median household income is $101,407 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $87,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Upland

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

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA 2.8 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
64.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,512
Avg net price $34,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA 2.9 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 13%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $138,687
Avg net price $35,924/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,613
Out‑of‑state$68,613
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

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#3

Scripps College

Claremont, CA 3.1 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,539
Avg net price $36,294/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 3.1 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
71.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,736
Avg net price $28,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Claremont Graduate University

Claremont, CA 3.2 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,372
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pomona College

Claremont, CA 3.4 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,779
Avg net price $19,285/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,420
Out‑of‑state$65,420
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 42

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

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#7

Claremont Lincoln University

Claremont, CA 3.6 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

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

#8

Keck Graduate Institute

Claremont, CA 4.0 miles from Upland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 11

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 Upland

Upland is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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 $77,010 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $72,378
Management Analyst $87,910 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $82,622
Technical Writer $85,500 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $80,357
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $66,780 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $62,763
Editor $70,560 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $66,316
Training and Development Specialist $60,010 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $56,400
Human Resources Specialist $76,570 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $71,964

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.

Upland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 78,940 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $101,407 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in San Bernardino County 1,774 workers, 224 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Upland-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Upland. The closest is Pitzer College in Claremont, CA (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Claremont Graduate University (3.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Upland are: Management Analyst ($87,910), Technical Writer ($85,500), Public Relations Specialist ($77,010). 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 Claremont instead of Upland?

Claremont, CA is 3.2 miles from Upland 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 Upland an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Upland’s median household income of $101,407 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Upland 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 Upland

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

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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