Best Political Science Schools Near Half Moon Bay, CA (2026)

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

Half Moon Bay, California has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs. Half Moon Bay has a population of about 11,454. Median household income is $153,199 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.2% 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 Half Moon Bay

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

Skyline College

San Bruno, CA 11.3 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,702
Avg net price $1,738/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 15.1 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 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

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#3

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 17.6 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 18.6 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 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

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 21.3 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 24.8 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 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

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 25.8 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 28.7 miles from Half Moon Bay
  • 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

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

Political Science Wages Near Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay 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.

Half Moon Bay at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 11,454 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $153,199 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 53.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Half Moon Bay-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Half Moon Bay, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Half Moon Bay. The closest is College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Francisco State University (17.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Half Moon Bay?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Half Moon Bay 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 Belmont instead of Half Moon Bay?

Belmont, CA is 8.5 miles from Half Moon Bay 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 Half Moon Bay an affordable place to study political science?

Half Moon Bay’s median household income of $153,199 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Half Moon Bay 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 Half Moon Bay

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Half Moon Bay:

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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