Best Political Science Schools Near El Cajon, CA (2026)

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

El Cajon, California has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,332 to $37,594 per year for indexed programs. El Cajon has a population of about 104,909. Median household income is $66,478 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $105,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to El Cajon

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

Grossmont College

El Cajon, CA 2.8 miles from El Cajon
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,309
Avg net price $5,311/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,332
Out‑of‑state$10,628
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

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

#2

Cuyamaca College

El Cajon, CA 4.1 miles from El Cajon
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,435
Avg net price $6,618/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near El Cajon

El Cajon is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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 $105,090 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $93,914
Management Analysts $101,190 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $90,429
Public Relations Specialists $81,240 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $72,601
Survey Researchers $69,620 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $62,216
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $76,300 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $68,186
Compliance Officers $101,230 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $90,465
Social and Community Service Managers $79,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $71,287

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.

El Cajon at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 104,909 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other El Cajon-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near El Cajon, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near El Cajon. The closest is Grossmont College in El Cajon, CA (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ashford University (10.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near El Cajon?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near El Cajon are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($105,090), Compliance Officers ($101,230), Management Analysts ($101,190). 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 Santee instead of El Cajon?

Santee, CA is 4.0 miles from El Cajon 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 El Cajon an affordable place to study political science?

El Cajon’s median household income of $66,478 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Cajon 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 El Cajon

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

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.

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