Best Political Science Schools Near Lompoc, CA (2026)

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

Lompoc, California has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $16,414 to $50,614 per year for indexed programs. Lompoc has a population of about 43,819. Median household income is $70,038 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $124,890 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Lompoc

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

Santa Barbara, CA 39.4 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#2

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 45.3 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA 48.3 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,778
Avg net price $29,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA 88.4 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,152
Avg net price $9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 90.8 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 95.6 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,712
Avg net price $30,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 96.5 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 99.2 miles from Lompoc
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

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 Lompoc

Lompoc is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). 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 $124,890 CA statewide $114,789
Management Analysts $99,990 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $91,903
Public Relations Specialists $78,450 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $72,105
Survey Researchers $83,520 CA statewide $76,765
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $80,930 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $74,384
Compliance Officers $85,780 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $78,842
Social and Community Service Managers $79,920 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $73,456

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.

Lompoc at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 43,819 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,038 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 12.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lompoc-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Lompoc, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Lompoc. The closest is Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, CA (19.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Westmont College (48.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Lompoc?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Lompoc are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($124,890), Management Analysts ($99,990), Compliance Officers ($85,780). 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 Santa Maria instead of Lompoc?

Santa Maria, CA is 18.8 miles from Lompoc 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 Lompoc an affordable place to study political science?

Lompoc’s median household income of $70,038 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lompoc 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 Lompoc

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

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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