University of California-Santa Cruz
Published tuition$14,560 - $45,337
Online programs--
Best Online Psychology Programs in Santa Cruz, CA (2026)
Santa Cruz, California has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs, with tuition ranging from $14,560 to $45,337 per year for indexed programs. Santa Cruz has a population of about 60,953. Median household income is $111,427 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $127,780 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Psychology Schools to Santa Cruz
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer psychology programs near Santa Cruz. Distances are calculated from Santa Cruz city center.
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 Santa Cruz. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Cabrillo College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
West Valley College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
De Anza College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
San Jose City College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California psychology page.
Psychology Wages Near Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologist | $112,860 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $102,693 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | N/A | CA statewide | – |
| School Psychologist | $127,780 | CA statewide | $116,269 |
| Educational and Career Counselor | $74,990 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $68,235 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $70,910 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $64,522 |
| Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor | $58,790 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $53,494 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $89,430 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $81,374 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $62,680 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $57,034 |
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.
Santa Cruz at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,953 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $111,427 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 57.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 109.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Psychology-related employment in Santa Cruz County | 6,987 workers, 2,956 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Santa Cruz-Area Cities With Psychology Programs
- Watsonville, CA – 15.1 mi away (77,266 pop)
- Los Gatos, CA – 17.9 mi away (30,545 pop)
- Saratoga, CA – 20.0 mi away (30,767 pop)
- Campbell, CA – 21.3 mi away (40,939 pop)
- Cupertino, CA – 23.4 mi away (60,643 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited psychology schools are near Santa Cruz, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Santa Cruz. The closest is University of California-Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Jose City College (24.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Santa Cruz?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Santa Cruz are: School Psychologist ($127,780), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($112,860), Healthcare Social Worker ($89,430). 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 Watsonville instead of Santa Cruz?
Watsonville, CA is 15.1 miles from Santa Cruz and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Santa Cruz an affordable place to study psychology?
Santa Cruz’s median household income of $111,427 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Cruz 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 Psychology Programs
- Psychology accreditation: what to look for
- Psychology concentrations and specializations
- Is a Psychology degree worth it?
- Main Psychology degree guide
- Online Psychology programs in California
- Psychology programs by state
Other Programs Available in Santa Cruz
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Santa Cruz:
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Data verified: June 11, 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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