Berkeley, California has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $16,347 to $50,547 per year for indexed programs. Berkeley has a population of about 120,223. Median household income is $108,558 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 75.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $128,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Political Science Schools to Berkeley
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science programs near Berkeley, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Berkeley 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Berkeley.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,217
Avg net price
$9,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 127
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California political science page.
Political Science Wages Near Berkeley
Berkeley 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.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Political Scientists |
N/A |
CA statewide |
– |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary |
$128,050 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$110,770 |
| Management Analysts |
$126,730 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$109,628 |
| Public Relations Specialists |
$102,520 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$88,685 |
| Survey Researchers |
$110,540 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$95,623 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants |
$84,030 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$72,690 |
| Compliance Officers |
$118,890 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$102,846 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$93,410 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA |
$80,804 |
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.
Berkeley at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
120,223 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$108,558 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
75.1% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
115.6 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Berkeley-Area Cities With Political Science Programs
- El Cerrito, CA – 3.6 mi away (25,400 pop)
- Richmond, CA – 6.2 mi away (109,813 pop)
- Oakland, CA – 6.5 mi away (420,005 pop)
- San Pablo, CA – 7.2 mi away (30,536 pop)
- Alameda, CA – 7.3 mi away (78,906 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited political science schools are near Berkeley, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Berkeley. The closest is Berkeley City College in Berkeley, CA (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Contra Costa College (7.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying political science roles near Berkeley?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Berkeley are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($128,050), Management Analysts ($126,730), Compliance Officers ($118,890). 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 El Cerrito instead of Berkeley?
El Cerrito, CA is 3.6 miles from Berkeley and has its own set of local political science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Berkeley an affordable place to study political science?
Berkeley’s median household income of $108,558 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Berkeley 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 Political Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Berkeley
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Berkeley:
- History programs in Berkeley, CA
- English programs in Berkeley, CA
- Sociology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Anthropology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Philosophy programs in Berkeley, CA
- Mathematics programs in Berkeley, CA
- General Studies programs in Berkeley, CA
- Forensic Psychology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Child Development programs in Berkeley, CA
- Data Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Electrical Engineering programs in Berkeley, CA
- Software Engineering programs in Berkeley, CA
- Engineering Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Geography programs in Berkeley, CA
- Aviation Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Public Policy programs in Berkeley, CA
- International Relations programs in Berkeley, CA
- Chemistry programs in Berkeley, CA
- Physics programs in Berkeley, CA
- Neuroscience programs in Berkeley, CA
- Spanish programs in Berkeley, CA
- Film programs in Berkeley, CA
- Fashion programs in Berkeley, CA
- Architecture programs in Berkeley, CA
- Urban Planning programs in Berkeley, CA
- Industrial Design programs in Berkeley, CA
- Game Design programs in Berkeley, CA
- Instructional Design programs in Berkeley, CA
- Higher Education Administration programs in Berkeley, CA
- Global Health programs in Berkeley, CA
- Art History programs in Berkeley, CA
- Creative Writing programs in Berkeley, CA
- Environmental Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Nutrition programs in Berkeley, CA
- Theology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Library Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Berkeley, CA
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Berkeley, CA
- Medical Assistant programs in Berkeley, CA
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Berkeley, CA
- Health Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Berkeley, CA
- Entrepreneurship programs in Berkeley, CA
- Interior Design programs in Berkeley, CA
- Photography programs in Berkeley, CA
- Sustainability Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Berkeley, CA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Berkeley, CA
- Journalism programs in Berkeley, CA
- Public Relations programs in Berkeley, CA
- Communication Disorders programs in Berkeley, CA
- Speech Pathology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Technical Communication programs in Berkeley, CA
- Professional Writing programs in Berkeley, CA
- Strategic Communications programs in Berkeley, CA
- Business Development programs in Berkeley, CA
- Construction Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Economics programs in Berkeley, CA
- Financial Technology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Berkeley, CA
- Health Information Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- International Business programs in Berkeley, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Berkeley, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in Berkeley, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Operations Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Public Administration programs in Berkeley, CA
- Real Estate programs in Berkeley, CA
- Recreation Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Retail Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Risk Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Statistics programs in Berkeley, CA
- Taxation programs in Berkeley, CA
- Corrections programs in Berkeley, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in Berkeley, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Berkeley, CA
- Criminology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Cybercrime programs in Berkeley, CA
- Emergency Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Fire Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Forensic Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Legal Services programs in Berkeley, CA
- Legal Studies programs in Berkeley, CA
- Paralegal programs in Berkeley, CA
- Security Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in Berkeley, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Berkeley, CA
- Innovation programs in Berkeley, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in Berkeley, CA
- Software Development programs in Berkeley, CA
- User Experience programs in Berkeley, CA
- Web Development programs in Berkeley, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Berkeley, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Berkeley, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Berkeley, CA
- Public Health programs in Berkeley, CA
- Human Resources programs in Berkeley, CA
- Project Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Special Education programs in Berkeley, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Berkeley, CA
- Marketing programs in Berkeley, CA
- Finance programs in Berkeley, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Sports Management programs in Berkeley, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Berkeley, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Berkeley, CA
- Biology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Communications programs in Berkeley, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Berkeley, CA
- Human Services programs in Berkeley, CA
- MBA programs in Berkeley, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Berkeley, CA
- Nursing programs in Berkeley, CA
- Business Administration programs in Berkeley, CA
- Computer Science programs in Berkeley, CA
- Psychology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Education programs in Berkeley, CA
- Engineering programs in Berkeley, CA
- Technology programs in Berkeley, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Berkeley, CA
- Healthcare programs in Berkeley, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Berkeley, CA
- Accounting programs in Berkeley, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Berkeley, CA
- Social Work programs in Berkeley, CA
- Counseling programs in Berkeley, CA
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 Political Science Schools in California (2026)
