Best Taxation Schools Near Palm Desert, CA (2026)

Palm Desert, California has 5 accredited schools offering taxation programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $13,001 per year for indexed programs. Palm Desert has a population of about 51,551. Median household income is $79,508 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning taxation-related role is Tax Examiner and Collector at a median $91,940 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Taxation Schools to Palm Desert

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer taxation programs near Palm Desert, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert. 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

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 65.7 miles from Palm Desert
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 82.0 miles from Palm Desert
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,522
Avg net price $30,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 87.6 miles from Palm Desert
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#4

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 111.6 miles from Palm Desert
  • 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

#5

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 118.5 miles from Palm Desert
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,349
Avg net price $48,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 128.5 miles from Palm Desert
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

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

#7

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 266.9 miles from Palm Desert
  • 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

#8

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 397.2 miles from Palm Desert
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Taxation Wages Near Palm Desert

Palm Desert is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$83,920Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$78,872
Tax Preparer$70,030CA statewide$65,818
Tax Examiner and Collector$91,940Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$86,410

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.


Palm Desert at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,551Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,508Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+39.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Desert-Area Cities With Taxation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited taxation schools are near Palm Desert, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering taxation programs near Palm Desert. The closest is MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA (65.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of San Diego (82.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying taxation roles near Palm Desert?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying taxation-related roles near Palm Desert are: Tax Examiner and Collector ($91,940), Accountant and Auditor ($83,920), Tax Preparer ($70,030). 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 Indio instead of Palm Desert?

Indio, CA is 7.8 miles from Palm Desert and has its own set of local taxation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Palm Desert an affordable place to study taxation?

Palm Desert’s median household income of $79,508 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Desert 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 Taxation Programs

Other Programs Available in Palm Desert

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.