Best Public Policy Schools Near Orange, CA (2026)

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

Orange, California has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $85,300 per year for indexed programs. Orange has a population of about 138,723. Median household income is $116,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% 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 Orange

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

Irvine, CA 10.8 miles from Orange
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

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

#2

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 16.7 miles from Orange
  • 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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#3

Pomona College

Claremont, CA 21.3 miles from Orange
  • 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

#4

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 21.6 miles from Orange
  • 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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#5

Scripps College

Claremont, CA 21.7 miles from Orange
  • 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

#6

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA 21.8 miles from Orange
  • 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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#7

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 30.5 miles from Orange
  • 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

#8

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA 30.7 miles from Orange
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
84.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,699
Avg net price $14,304/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,606
Out‑of‑state$49,806
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 87

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

Orange 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.

Orange at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 138,723 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $116,945 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 40.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Orange-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Orange. The closest is University of California-Irvine in Irvine, CA (10.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Scripps College (21.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Orange 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 Anaheim instead of Orange?

Anaheim, CA is 3.2 miles from Orange 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 Orange an affordable place to study public policy?

Orange’s median household income of $116,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Orange 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 Orange

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

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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