Best Public Policy Schools Near Alhambra, CA (2026)

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

Alhambra, California has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $85,300 per year for indexed programs. Alhambra has a population of about 81,483. Median household income is $85,189 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $151,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Alhambra

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Alhambra, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Alhambra 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 Alhambra. 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 9.6 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 17.6 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 161

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

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#3

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 19.9 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 20.9 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 121

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

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#5

Pomona College

Claremont, CA 24.1 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 7%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,779
Avg net price $19,285/yr
Tuition
In‑state$65,420
Out‑of‑state$65,420
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 42

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

#6

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 24.3 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
71.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,736
Avg net price $28,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Scripps College

Claremont, CA 24.3 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,539
Avg net price $36,294/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA 24.6 miles from Alhambra
  • 4 year
64.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,512
Avg net price $34,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Policy Wages Near Alhambra

Alhambra is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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 –
Management Analysts $104,930 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $92,368
Economists $151,510 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $133,371
Social and Community Service Managers $87,100 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $76,673
Survey Researchers $83,520 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $73,521
Compliance Officers $94,810 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $83,460
General and Operations Managers $125,830 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $110,766
Financial and Investment Analysts $102,260 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $90,018

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.

Alhambra at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 81,483 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $85,189 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 39.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Alhambra-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public policy schools are near Alhambra, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Alhambra. The closest is University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA (9.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pomona College (24.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public policy roles near Alhambra?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Alhambra are: Economists ($151,510), General and Operations Managers ($125,830), Management Analysts ($104,930). 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 South Pasadena instead of Alhambra?

South Pasadena, CA is 2.2 miles from Alhambra and has its own set of local public policy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Alhambra an affordable place to study public policy?

Alhambra’s median household income of $85,189 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alhambra 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 Public Policy Programs

Other Programs Available in Alhambra

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

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 Public Policy Schools in California (2026)