Best Space Studies Schools Near San Jose, CA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

San Jose, California has 5 accredited schools offering space studies programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $50,205 per year for indexed programs. San Jose has a population of about 990,054. Median household income is $141,565 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning space studies-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $263,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Space Studies Schools to San Jose

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer space studies programs near San Jose, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Jose 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 Jose. 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-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 24.1 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 45.0 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 45.4 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

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

#4

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 48.7 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 66.2 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 293.8 miles from San Jose
  • 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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#7

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA 302.3 miles from San Jose
  • 4 year
82.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $128,566
Avg net price $16,075/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 302.3 miles from San Jose
  • 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

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

Space Studies Wages Near San Jose

San Jose is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). 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)
Astronomers $123,540 CA statewide $111,902
Physicists $173,450 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $157,111
Aerospace Engineers $181,630 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $164,520
Natural Sciences Managers $263,810 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $238,958
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $124,920 CA statewide $113,152
Engineers, All Other $169,650 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $153,668
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $133,230 CA statewide $120,679
Physical Scientists, All Other $160,580 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $145,453

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 Jose at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 990,054 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $141,565 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 110.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Jose-Area Cities With Space Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited space studies schools are near San Jose, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering space studies programs near San Jose. The closest is Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA (22.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Francisco State University (45.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying space studies roles near San Jose?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near San Jose are: Natural Sciences Managers ($263,810), Aerospace Engineers ($181,630), Physicists ($173,450). 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 Campbell instead of San Jose?

Campbell, CA is 6.0 miles from San Jose and has its own set of local space studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is San Jose an affordable place to study space studies?

San Jose’s median household income of $141,565 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Jose 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 Space Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in San Jose

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

Data verified: September 7, 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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