Strategic Communications Schools Near Santa Maria, CA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Santa Maria, California is home to about 109,880 residents. Median household income is $84,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning strategic communications-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $170,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Strategic Communications Schools to Santa Maria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer strategic communications programs near Santa Maria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria. 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

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 116.6 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 128.9 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 138.0 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 155.5 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA 155.7 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,677
Avg net price $22,212/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Chapman University

Orange, CA 172.7 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 184.3 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 185.4 miles from Santa Maria
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Strategic Communications Wages Near Santa Maria

Santa Maria is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Manager$153,010Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$140,634
Public Relations Specialist$78,450Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$72,105
Marketing Manager$170,920Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$157,096

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 Maria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population109,880Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,617Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Maria-Area Cities With Strategic Communications Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying strategic communications roles near Santa Maria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying strategic communications-related roles near Santa Maria are: Marketing Manager ($170,920), Public Relations Manager ($153,010), Public Relations Specialist ($78,450). 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 Arroyo Grande instead of Santa Maria?

Arroyo Grande, CA is 15.4 miles from Santa Maria and has its own set of local strategic communications programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Santa Maria an affordable place to study strategic communications?

Santa Maria’s median household income of $84,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Maria 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 Strategic Communications Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Maria

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

Data verified: August 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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