Best Online Biology Programs in Chula Vista, CA (2026)

Chula Vista, California has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. Chula Vista has a population of about 275,030. Median household income is $105,173 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $130,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Chula Vista

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Chula Vista, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Southwestern College

Chula Vista, CA 1.2 miles from Chula Vista BOC Score 50.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,060
Avg net price $12,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Biology Wages Near Chula Vista

Chula Vista is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$130,980San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$117,051
Biological Technician$67,060San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$59,929
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$93,500San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$83,557
Soil and Plant Scientist$86,330San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$77,149

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.


Chula Vista at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population275,030Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,173Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Chula Vista-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Chula Vista, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Chula Vista. The closest is Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grossmont College (13.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Chula Vista?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Chula Vista are: Medical Scientist ($130,980), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($93,500), Soil and Plant Scientist ($86,330). 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 National City instead of Chula Vista?

National City, CA is 5.5 miles from Chula Vista and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chula Vista an affordable place to study biology?

Chula Vista’s median household income of $105,173 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chula Vista 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 Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Chula Vista

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Chula Vista:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.