Best Public Policy Schools Near Shafter, CA (2026)

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

Shafter, California has 1 accredited school offering public policy programs. Shafter has a population of about 20,618. Median household income is $67,989 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 10.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning public policy-related role is Economists at a median $119,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Policy Schools to Shafter

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public policy programs near Shafter, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Shafter 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 Shafter. 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 Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 83.1 miles from Shafter
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 103.4 miles from Shafter
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,939
Avg net price $58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 104.5 miles from Shafter
  • 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

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 106.2 miles from Shafter
  • 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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#5

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 113.3 miles from Shafter
  • 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

#6

Scripps College

Claremont, CA 127.0 miles from Shafter
  • 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

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#7

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 127.1 miles from Shafter
  • 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

#8

Pomona College

Claremont, CA 127.2 miles from Shafter
  • 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

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

Public Policy Wages Near Shafter

Shafter is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). 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 $96,580 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $95,719
Economists $119,410 CA statewide $118,345
Social and Community Service Managers $75,600 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $74,926
Survey Researchers $83,520 CA statewide $82,775
Compliance Officers $80,040 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $79,326
General and Operations Managers $104,460 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $103,528
Financial and Investment Analysts $101,230 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $100,327

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.

Shafter at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 20,618 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,989 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 10.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Shafter-Area Cities With Public Policy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering public policy programs near Shafter. The closest is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, CA (83.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (83.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public policy-related roles near Shafter are: Economists ($119,410), General and Operations Managers ($104,460), Financial and Investment Analysts ($101,230). 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 Wasco instead of Shafter?

Wasco, CA is 12.4 miles from Shafter 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 Shafter an affordable place to study public policy?

Shafter’s median household income of $67,989 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shafter 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 Shafter

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

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)