Best Online Accounting Programs in San Francisco, CA (2026)

San Francisco, California has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs. San Francisco has a population of about 836,321. Median household income is $141,446 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.1% 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 San Francisco

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near San Francisco. Distances are calculated from San Francisco 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 San Francisco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 2.1 miles from San Francisco BOC Score44.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Skyline College

San Bruno, CA 8.8 miles from San Francisco BOC Score70.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

College of Alameda

Alameda, CA 9.1 miles from San Francisco BOC Score35.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

Laney College

Oakland, CA 10.3 miles from San Francisco BOC Score17.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Berkeley City College

Berkeley, CA 12.3 miles from San Francisco BOC Score34.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Accounting Wages Near San Francisco

San Francisco 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.


San Francisco at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population836,321Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,446Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in San Francisco County9,878 workers, 488 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other San Francisco-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near San Francisco, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near San Francisco. The closest is City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Berkeley City College (12.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near San Francisco?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near San Francisco 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 Daly City instead of San Francisco?

Daly City, CA is 5.0 miles from San Francisco 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 San Francisco an affordable place to study accounting?

San Francisco’s median household income of $141,446 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Francisco 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 San Francisco

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

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.