Best Online Accounting Programs in El Cerrito, CA (2026)

El Cerrito, California has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs. El Cerrito has a population of about 5,121. Median household income is $122,472 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $216,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Accounting Schools to El Cerrito

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near El Cerrito. Distances are calculated from El Cerrito city center.

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 El Cerrito. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Berkeley City College

Berkeley, CA 3.9 miles from El Cerrito BOC Score34.9
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#2

Contra Costa College

San Pablo, CA 3.9 miles from El Cerrito BOC Score38.9
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#3

Laney College

Oakland, CA 9.0 miles from El Cerrito BOC Score17.6
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#4

College of Alameda

Alameda, CA 9.6 miles from El Cerrito BOC Score35.5
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#5

Merritt College

Oakland, CA 11.7 miles from El Cerrito BOC Score36.6
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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California accounting page.


Accounting Wages Near El Cerrito

El Cerrito is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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$110,730San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$95,787
Financial Manager$216,150San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,981
Financial Analyst$130,520San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$112,907
Budget Analyst$117,360San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$101,522
Tax Preparer$84,240San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$72,872
Tax Examiner and Collector$110,780San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$95,830
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$65,530San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$56,687

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.


El Cerrito at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population5,121Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$122,472Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+14.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Contra Costa County2,497 workers, 546 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other El Cerrito-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near El Cerrito, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near El Cerrito. The closest is Berkeley City College in Berkeley, CA (3.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Merritt College (11.7 miles).

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near El Cerrito?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near El Cerrito are: Financial Manager ($216,150), Financial Analyst ($130,520), Budget Analyst ($117,360). 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 Richmond instead of El Cerrito?

Richmond, CA is 2.8 miles from El Cerrito and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is El Cerrito an affordable place to study accounting?

El Cerrito’s median household income of $122,472 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Cerrito 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 Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in El Cerrito

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

Data verified: June 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.