Best Philosophy Schools Near Watsonville, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Watsonville, California has 5 accredited schools offering philosophy programs, with tuition ranging from $16,005 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. Watsonville has a population of about 51,968. Median household income is $74,785 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, the top-earning philosophy-related role is Lawyers at a median $164,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Philosophy Schools to Watsonville

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

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 16.7 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 29.4 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 31.0 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 36.3 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 41.4 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $124,080
Avg net price $13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 53.3 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

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

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#7

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 65.5 miles from Watsonville
  • 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

#8

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 65.6 miles from Watsonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Philosophy Wages Near Watsonville

Watsonville is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). 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)
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary $105,820 CA statewide $96,288
Writers and Authors $86,480 CA statewide $78,690
Lawyers $164,790 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $149,945
Clergy $61,630 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $56,078
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,810 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $89,909
Editors $77,890 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $70,874
Management Analysts $105,480 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $95,978

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.

Watsonville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,968 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $74,785 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 12.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Watsonville-Area Cities With Philosophy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited philosophy schools are near Watsonville, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering philosophy programs near Watsonville. The closest is Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA (9.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Jose State University (29.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying philosophy roles near Watsonville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying philosophy-related roles near Watsonville are: Lawyers ($164,790), Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary ($105,820), Management Analysts ($105,480). 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 Gilroy instead of Watsonville?

Gilroy, CA is 11.8 miles from Watsonville and has its own set of local philosophy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Watsonville an affordable place to study philosophy?

Watsonville’s median household income of $74,785 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watsonville 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 Philosophy Programs

Other Programs Available in Watsonville

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best Philosophy Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)