Best Political Science Schools Near San Diego, CA (2026)

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

San Diego, California has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $37,594 per year for indexed programs. San Diego has a population of about 1,385,061. Median household income is $104,321 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.9% 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 San Diego

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

National University

San Diego, CA 0.3 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 1.2 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
15.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 64

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

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#3

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 3.3 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

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

#4

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 4.9 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

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#5

San Diego Miramar College

San Diego, CA 5.4 miles from San Diego
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,224
Avg net price $3,337/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

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

#6

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 5.8 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,522
Avg net price $30,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

San Diego City College

San Diego, CA 8.1 miles from San Diego
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,503
Avg net price $7,935/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 55

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

#8

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 10.8 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 59

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 San Diego

San Diego 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.

San Diego at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 1,385,061 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $104,321 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Diego-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near San Diego, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near San Diego. The closest is National University in San Diego, CA (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Diego Miramar College (5.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near San Diego?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near San Diego 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 La Mesa instead of San Diego?

La Mesa, CA is 7.3 miles from San Diego 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 San Diego an affordable place to study political science?

San Diego’s median household income of $104,321 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Diego 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 San Diego

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

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)