Best Online Biology Programs in Laguna Beach, CA (2026)

Laguna Beach, California has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. Laguna Beach has a population of about 22,777. Median household income is $140,508 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 67.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $134,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Laguna Beach

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

#1

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA 8.1 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 59.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,083
Avg net price $28,115/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 8.5 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 90.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 28

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

#3

Chapman University

Orange, CA 9.0 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 61.4
  • 4 year
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

#4

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 11.5 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 58.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,541
Avg net price $21,241/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 16.4 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 65.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 24.7 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 85.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 27

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

#7

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 24.7 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 49.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 26.3 miles from Laguna Beach BOC Score 86.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 41

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

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


Biology Wages Near Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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$134,890Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$118,741
Biological Technician$66,610Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$58,636
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$83,490Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$73,495
Soil and Plant Scientist$82,490Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$72,614

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.


Laguna Beach at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population22,777Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$140,508Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+67.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Laguna Beach-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Laguna Beach, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Laguna Beach. The closest is Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chapman University (9.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Laguna Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Laguna Beach are: Medical Scientist ($134,890), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($83,490), Soil and Plant Scientist ($82,490). 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 Aliso Viejo instead of Laguna Beach?

Aliso Viejo, CA is 3.0 miles from Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach an affordable place to study biology?

Laguna Beach’s median household income of $140,508 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Laguna Beach:

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 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.