Best Political Science Schools Near Rancho Cordova, CA (2026)

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

Rancho Cordova, California has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,288 to $22,945 per year for indexed programs. Rancho Cordova has a population of about 80,656. Median household income is $89,120 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $131,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Rancho Cordova

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

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 9.3 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#2

William Jessup University

Rocklin, CA 17.1 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,257
Avg net price $28,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 27.0 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,838
Avg net price $14,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 153

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

#4

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 41.1 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 52.6 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 64.2 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,484
Avg net price $41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 65.1 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 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

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 68.8 miles from Rancho Cordova
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,812
Avg net price $30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

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 Rancho Cordova

Rancho Cordova is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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 $131,440 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $123,187
Management Analysts $82,990 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $77,779
Public Relations Specialists $89,640 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $84,011
Survey Researchers $83,520 CA statewide $78,276
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $78,550 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $73,618
Compliance Officers $95,220 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $89,241
Social and Community Service Managers $76,080 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $71,303

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.

Rancho Cordova at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 80,656 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $89,120 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 106.7 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rancho Cordova-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Rancho Cordova, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Rancho Cordova. The closest is American River College in Sacramento, CA (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sacramento City College (13.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Rancho Cordova?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Rancho Cordova are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($131,440), Compliance Officers ($95,220), Public Relations Specialists ($89,640). 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 Citrus Heights instead of Rancho Cordova?

Citrus Heights, CA is 8.6 miles from Rancho Cordova 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 Rancho Cordova an affordable place to study political science?

Rancho Cordova’s median household income of $89,120 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rancho Cordova 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 Rancho Cordova

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

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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